Generation of high-quality non-diffracting beams using spatial filtering

Abstract

Annular spatial filtering is a widely used technique for the generation of non-diffracting beams. Combined with a phase modulator, this setup can generate arbitrary non-diffracting beams with high power efficiency. Previously, researchers have mainly focused on the generation of a specific type of beam (Bessel, Weber). In this study, a method to obtain the optimal setup parameters for general non-diffracting beams was introduced. To achieve the balance of efficiency and beam quality, appropriate sampling numbers and annular ring size were determined. A simulation, derived from the Fourier optics model, was developed to estimate the optimal parameters. The selected ring width predicted by the simulation was then verified using experimental results. This investigation develops a strategy to improve the quality of various non-diffracting beams in more general applications.