Polarization and propagation characteristics of the azimuthally polarized non-diffracting beam

Abstract

In this paper, the characteristics of the azimuthally polarized non-diffracting beam (APB) propagating in the free space and obstruction space are investigated theoretically and experimentally. The variations in intensity distribution and polarization characteristics of the APB in propagation process are simulated. In the experiment, the APB is generated by using the polarization converter and axicon. And then, we investigate its transmission and analyze the intensity distribution of APB which is behind a sector-shaped opaque obstacle. We also discuss the influences of obstacles on the polarization and self-healing features of the APB. The results show that the light intensity in obstacle block area gradually restores along the z axis and the shadow area moves toward the direction opposite to the location of obstacle. The polarization of the light beam changes partly and the change relates to the obstacle location. Theoretical simulations accord well with experimental results.