Mutual transformations of fractional-order and integer-order optical vortices

Abstract

We consider the problem of singular beams in optics as a part of the general questions of interactions, shaping and transformations of vortex states with fractional topological charges in physics, in particular, in hydrodynamic and quantum mechanic. Starting from the representation of the fractional-order vortex states as a superposition of infinite number of integer-order vortices with distinctive energy distributions (the vortex spectra) we showed that the smooth wave front of the fractional vortex beam can either decay into an asymmetric array of integer-order vortices or, vice versa, the array of optical vortices can be gathered together forming a smooth wave front with a helicoid-shaped phase distribution under propagation in free space. We revealed that a simple superposition of a finite number of the fractional-order vortex beams enables us to shape symmetric singular beams with the integer-order vortices of the desired topological charges.