Self-consistent transverse modes in a geometric-phase-plate-assisted optical resonator

Abstract

We propose a geometric phase plate (GPP) assisted optical resonator to tailor and discriminate intracavity transverse modes. Theoretical analysis demonstrates that the resonator has well-defined self-consistent resonator modes when the GPP is placed at the self-imaging position of the resonator mirror. By engineering phases carried by the GPP, we show configuration functions including breaking the symmetry of transverse-mode structures in forward and backward propagations, generating purely high-order transverse modes, and discriminating degenerate Laguerre-Gaussian modes. Furthermore, we conduct numerical simulation based on the iterative Fox-Li method. Our design provides a tool for efficiently shaping laser modes at a source, which has potential application in such technologies as optical imaging, optical tweezers, optical communication, and quantum information processing.