Propagation Axis Research Articles

In situ dynamic four-dimensional strong-field ionization tomography

We present an dynamic four-dimensional (4D=3D space + 1D time) laser induced strong field ionization tomography technique, particularly suited for probing far-from-equilibrium systems, such as supersonic and hypersonic pulsed gas jets. By employing a femtosecond laser, temporal resolution is primarily limited by electronic jitter, typically to a few tens of picoseconds. Our proof-of-principle experiment revealed an intriguing phenomenon: a “squeezing” of the gas pulse as it propagates downstream, manifesting as a shortening of the normalized temporal profile of the gas pulse density along the propagation axis, while simultaneously expanding transversely. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Orbital angular momentum coherent state beams

Paraxial propagation through isotropic, homogeneous, linear media exhibits invariance under rotations around the propagation axis, a symmetry described by the su(2) Lie algebra. We explore a family of paraxial beams that exploit this symmetry, constructed as linear superpositions of Laguerre–Gaussian beams (LGBs), serving as optical analogs of generalized SU(2) Lie group coherent states. A single complex parameter controls a smooth transition between Laguerre–Gaussian and Hermite–Gaussian beams (HGBs), producing intermediate beams that blend the characteristics of both families. Our beams exhibit propagation-invariant properties, up to a scaling factor, a highly desirable feature for optical applications. Experimental validation via digital holography demonstrates the practical feasibility of our approach.

Talbot effect based sensor measuring grating period change in subwavelength range

Talbot length, the distance between two consecutive self-image planes along the propagation axis for a periodic diffraction object (grating) illuminated by a plane wave, depends on the period of the object and the wavelength of illumination. This property makes the Talbot effect a straightforward technique for measuring the period of a periodic object (grating) by accurately determining the Talbot length for a given illumination wavelength. However, since the Talbot length scale is proportional to the square of the grating period, traditional Talbot techniques face challenges when dealing with smaller grating periods and minor changes in the grating period. Recently, we demonstrated a Fourier transform technique-based Talbot imaging method that allows for controlled Talbot lengths of a periodic object with a constant period and illumination wavelength. Using this method, we successfully measured periods as small as a few micrometers and detected sub-micrometer changes in the periodic object. Furthermore, by measuring the Talbot length of gratings with varying periods imaged through the combination of a thick lens of short focal length and a thin lens of long focal length and large aperture, we determined the effective focal length of the thick lens in close agreement with the theoretical effective focal length of a thick lens in the presence of spherical aberration. These findings establish the Talbot effect as an effective and simple technique for various sensing applications in optics and photonics through the measurement of any physical parameter influencing the Talbot length of a periodic object.

The effect of the external magnetic field on the power of the laser passing through the magnetized plasma and the calculation of the radius of convergence and the investigation of the condition of the beam's filamentation in the Medium

In this article, the power of a laser passing through a magnetized plasma medium which is affected by an external magnetic field is calculated.The change in the intensity of the magnetic field and its rotation around the axis of laser beam propagation in the plasma, on the power of the passing beam is investigated.This work is done based on the indirect effect of the magnetic field on the density distribution of electrons in the plasma, which we can consider the density changes as changes in the refractive index of the medium, so the laser power in this case is different from the case where there is no magnetic field. Also, the condition of beam filamentation has been researched as one of the third-order nonlinear phenomena, and the convergence radius has been calculated under these conditions.

Non-dimensional linear analysis of one-dimensional wave propagation in tensegrity structures

This study presents a methodology for analyzing wave propagation in tensegrity lattices within a non-dimensional framework. Two strategies are employed to predict pass bands and bandgaps. The first examines wave dispersion through a single representative unit cell, using dispersion curves to identify bandgaps and pass bands. The second models the structure as a finite system, using modal analysis to compute the steady-state response to harmonic loads and plot the frequency response function. Two unit cells are analyzed: a two-dimensional D-bar unit and a three-dimensional tensegrity prism. The study investigates axial and in-plane bending wave propagation in a D-bar chain and axial wave propagation in a prism chain. After non-dimensionalizing the equations of motion, key parameters such as ratios of stiffness per unit length, mass per unit length, and prestress are identified. Its is shown that varying these parameters shifts the bandgap locations and widths. Prestress has minimal effect in the D-bar case, while a slight shift in the first bandgap is observed in the prism. The predictions from unit cell and finite structure analyses show good agreement.

Coherent high-power terahertz vortex generation with tunable orbital angular momentum based on transverse phase mask shaping

Abstract Terahertz (THz) radiation has become a significant tool in cutting-edge research due to its superior properties. THz vortices with tunable orbital angular momentum (OAM) are particularly attractive to the scientific community due to their well-defined discrete azimuthal phase around the propagation axis. However, the generation of high-power THz radiation with OAM remains a challenge for most existing technologies. In this paper, a new method for generating coherent high-power THz vortices with tunable OAM and frequency is proposed by combining frequency beating and transverse phase mask shaping techniques. Theoretical analyses and numerical simulations indicate that this method can generate coherent THz vortices with peak powers in the tens of megawatts and tunable topological charge numbers.

Meta-optics empowered by all-silicon quarter-wave plates for generating focused vortex beams

The Poynting vector associated with the focused vortex beam (FVB) that carries orbital angular momentum (OAM) is oriented in a twisted manner relative to the principal axis of propagation. This characteristic has significant applications in advanced fields, including high-dimensional information processing, high-resolution imaging, and particle manipulation. Currently, complex optical systems that operate on alignment principles for generating FVBs have been miniaturized by metasurfaces, resulting in the achievement of polarization-dependent vectorized behavior. Nevertheless, generating and manipulating FVBs that carry OAM in the terahertz (THz) range remains a significant challenge. This difficulty arises particularly when utilizing quarter-wave plates (QWPs) that serve both polarization conversion and polarization filtering functions. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a planar all-dielectric array capable of generating FVBs with high power density within a single-handed circularly polarized channel. Engineered QWP meta-atoms are utilized as candidates for the efficient generation of the desired FVB through the application of dynamic phase gradients. A series of samples were fabricated to assess the effectiveness of this design strategy in converting an incident linearly polarized THz beam into arbitrary single-handed circularly polarized FVBs. Leveraging the high degree of freedom inherent in polarization multiplexing coding, the proposed QWP metasurface can generate FVBs exhibiting topological charge evolution along the longitudinal direction. This capability further underscores its robust polarization modulation proficiency. This work presents a generalized framework for the polarization-dependent generation of ultracompact structural optical fields, which may have potential applications in highly integrated THz communication systems.

On the possibility of long‐distance transmission of OAM beam in rectangular tunnels

AbstractThis letter explores the possibility of long‐distance transmission of an orbital angular momentum (OAM) beam through rectangular tunnels. Theoretical analysis reveals that the OAM beam propagating in the tunnel with square cross section fulfills the conditions for axial propagation and exhibits azimuth symmetry. In comparison with free‐space OAM generation, we draw the conclusion that long‐distance transmission of OAM beams is achievable in the tunnels with square cross section. The validity of our conclusion is further substantiated through numerical experiments. Simulation results demonstrate that the first‐order OAM beam radiated by a uniform circular antenna array exhibits favorable helical phase distribution and the circular symmetry of the amplitude distribution in the tunnel beyond the Rayleigh distance. However, these characteristics degrade with increasing mode order and propagation distance, because the increase of high‐order OAM beam divergence angle and propagation distance will exacerbate the impact of multipath effects in the tunnel environment.

Flattop axial Bessel beam propagation with analytical form of the phase retardation function

This work focuses on a novel, to the best of our knowledge, analytical form of the phase retardation function for achieving a uniform axial intensity of Bessel beams. Traditional methods of generating Bessel beams often result in significant oscillations in the intensity along the beam’s axial path, which limits their practical applications. However, the proposed phase retardation function in this study overcomes these limitations by ensuring consistent beam creation regardless of factors such as the beam waist size, wavelength, or axicon angle. By implementing the proposed spatial phase function, a fundamental Gaussian laser beam, thereby generating a Bessel beam with an elongated and constant axial intensity profile, supports our theoretical predictions. The functionality of this new phase retardation function was further scrutinized using different wavelengths and beam waist sizes to confirm that the axial intensity remained uniform profile. Additionally, when contrasting our phase function with those from earlier researches, it was observed that our findings are consistent with both theoretical models and experimental outcomes.

Optically Thick Jet Base and Explanation of Edge Brightening in Active Galactic Nucleus Jets

The jet cores in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are resolved and found to harbor an edge-brightened structure where the jet base appears extended at the sides compared to its propagation axis. This peculiar phenomenon invites various explanations. We show that the photosphere of an optically thick jet base in AGNs is observed edge brightened if the jet Lorentz factor harbors an angular dependence. The jet assumes a higher Lorentz factor along the jet axis and decreases following a power law along its polar angle. For an observer near the jet axis, the jet has a lower optical depth along its propagation axis compared to off-axis regions. Higher optical depth at the outer region makes the jet photosphere appear to extend to larger radii compared to a deeper photosphere along its propagation axis. We tackle the problem both analytically and numerically, confirming the edge brightening through Monte Carlo simulations. Other than the edge brightening, the outcomes are significant as they provide a unique tool to determine the jet structure and associated parameters by their resolved observed cores. The study paves the way to explore the spectral properties of optically thick cores with structured Lorentz factors in the future.

Self-Focused Pulse Propagation Is Mediated by Spatiotemporal Optical Vortices.

We show that the dynamics of high-intensity laser pulses undergoing self-focused propagation in a nonlinear medium can be understood in terms of the topological constraints imposed by the formation and evolution of spatiotemporal optical vortices (STOVs). STOVs are born from pointlike phase defects on the sides of the pulse nucleated by spatiotemporal phase shear. These defects grow into closed loops of spatiotemporal vorticity that initially exclude the pulse propagation axis, but then reconnect to form a pair of toroidal vortex rings that wrap around it. STOVs constrain the intrapulse flow of electromagnetic energy, controlling the focusing-defocusing cycles and pulse splitting inherent to nonlinear pulse propagation. We illustrate this in two widely studied but very different regimes, relativistic self-focusing in plasma and nonrelativistic self-focusing in gas, demonstrating that STOVs mediate nonlinear propagation irrespective of the detailed physics.

Acoustic spin-controlled orbital rotations in double spiral acoustic beams

Similar to optical spin-orbit interactions (SOIs), acoustic SOIs are anticipated to offer fresh perspectives and capabilities for acoustic manipulation beyond conventional scalar degrees of freedom. However, the acoustic extrinsic SOIs caused by particular properties of the medium were seldom explored. Here, the acoustic extrinsic SOI is observed in a double spiral acoustic beam (DSAB), as evidenced by the rotation of the spatial intensity pattern along the propagation axis. The interaction of the acoustic plane wave with the well-designed artificial flat structure generates two non-paraxial focused acoustic vortices (NFAVs) with different spin angular momentums. The coaxial coupling between them leads to acoustic spin-controlled orbital rotation (SOR). Theoretical formulations, supported by numerical simulations and experimental results, are provided to demonstrate the validity of acoustic SOR. Our work provides new perspectives and capabilities for understanding sound processing, and may open an avenue for the development of spin-orbit acoustics.

Scale size estimation and flow pattern recognition around a magnetosheath jet

Abstract. Transient enhancements in the dynamic pressure, so-called magnetosheath jets or simply jets, are abundantly found in the magnetosheath. They travel from the bow shock through the magnetosheath towards the magnetopause. On their way through the magnetosheath, jets disturb the ambient plasma. Multiple studies already investigated their scale size perpendicular to their propagation direction, and almost exclusively in a statistical manner. In this paper, we use multi-point measurements from the Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) mission to study the passage of a single jet. The method described here allows us to estimate the spatial distribution of the dynamic pressure within the jet. Furthermore, the size perpendicular to the propagation direction can be estimated for different cross sections. In the jet event investigated here, both the dynamic pressure and the perpendicular size increase along the propagation axis from the front part towards the center of the jet and decrease again towards the rear part, but neither monotonically nor symmetrically. We obtain a maximum diameter in the perpendicular direction of about 1 RE and a dynamic pressure of about 6 nPa at the jet center.

Compact metamaterial-based single/double-negative/near-zero index resonator for 5G sub-6 GHz wireless applications

The concept, performance, and analyses of distinctive, miniaturized metamaterial (MTM) unit cell addressing the forthcoming Sub 6 GHz 5G applications are presented in this paper. Two circular split-ring resonators (CSRR) with two parallel rectangular copper elements in front of the design and a slotted square element in the background make up the suggested metamaterial. It has a line segment with tunable features that is positioned in the center of the little ring copper structure. The suggested design offers a significant operating frequency band of 220 MHz together with a resonance of transmission coefficient S21 at 3.5 GHz. Furthermore, in two (z & x) principal axes of wave propagation, wide-range achievement, single/double-negative (S/DNG) refractive index, negative permittivity, and near-zero permeability properties were demonstrated. Through varying central slotted-strip line length, resonance frequencies can be selectively altered. Moreover, the metamaterial has overall dimensions of 9 × 9 mm2 and is composed on a Rogers 5880 RT substrate. In order to create the suggested MTM's equivalent circuit, which shows similar coefficient of transmission (S21), a proposed design’s numerical simulation is carried out in the CST micro-wave studio. This simulation is after that put to comparison with manufacturing of the design.

Acoustic metamaterials characterization via laser plasma sound sources

Phononic crystals and acoustic metamaterials are expected to become an important enabling technology for science and industry. Currently, various experimental methods are used for evaluation of acoustic meta-structures, such as impedance tubes and anechoic chambers. Here we present a method for the precise characterization of acoustic meta-structures that utilizes rapid broadband acoustic pulses generated by point-like and effectively massless laser plasma sound sources. The method allows for broadband frequency response and directivity evaluations of meta-structures with arbitrary geometries in multiple sound propagation axes while also enabling acoustic excitation inside the structure. Experimental results are presented from acoustic evaluations of various phononic crystals with band gaps in the audible range, notably also in the very low frequencies, validating the predictions of numerical models with high accuracy. The proposed method is expected to boost research and commercial adoption of acoustic metamaterials in the near future.

Quantitative analysis of the relationship between charge motion and knocking combustion in spark-ignition natural-gas engines under critical knocking conditions

Increasing the in-cylinder flow intensity is considered to have the potential to restrain engine knock and improve thermal efficiency. However, the effect of charge motion on the knocking combustion in natural gas (NG) engines is unclear. Therefore, swirl, tumble, and squish motions of different intensities were organized by changing the shape of the combustion chamber and initializing the in-cylinder flow velocity. Subsequently, the effect of charge motion on the knocking combustion of a spark-ignition NG engine under critical knocking conditions was investigated via numerical simulations. The results indicate that the knock intensity (KI) first increases and then decreases with an increase in swirl and tumble intensities and linearly increases with an increase in squish intensity. Swirl had the smallest impact on KI, followed by tumble, whereas squish had the greatest impact. The differences in flame propagation resulted in differences in KI under different charge motion patterns. The obvious non-uniformity of the radial and axial flame propagation is a potential cause of the significant increase in KI. Therefore, while increasing the flow intensity, matching a suitable combustion chamber to make the flame propagation more uniform helps achieve anti-knock and rapid combustion. Improving the swirl and tumble intensities can help NG engines achieve anti-knock and rapid combustion, whereas improving the squish intensity does not. This study provides an important reference for determining whether increasing flow intensity can improve NG engines’ knock characteristics and combustion performance.

Compact Low Loss Ribbed Asymmetric Multimode Interference Power Splitter

Optical power splitters (OPSs) are utilized extensively in integrated photonic circuits, drawing significant interest in research on power splitters with adjustable splitting ratios. This paper introduces a compact, low-loss 1 × 2 asymmetric multimode interferometric (MMI) optical power splitter on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform. The device is simulated using the finite difference method (FDM) and eigenmode expansion solver (EME). It is possible to attain various output power splitting ratios by making the geometry of the MMI central section asymmetric relative to the propagation axis. Six distinct optical power splitters are designed with unconventional splitting ratios in this paper, which substantiates that the device can achieve any power splitter ratios (PSRs) in the range of 95:5 to 50:50. The dimensions of the multimode section were established at 2.9 × (9.5–10.9) μm. Simulation results show a range of unique advantages of the device, including a low extra loss of less than 0.4 dB, good fabrication tolerance, and power splitting ratio fluctuation below 3% across the 1500 nm to 1600 nm wavelength span.

Propagation characteristics of twisted cosine-Gaussian Schell-model beams

We introduce a new class of twisted sources with twisted cosine-Gaussian Schell-model correlation structure. The spectral intensity and the degree of coherence of the field upon propagation are discussed. Such novel twisted field is characterized by unfamiliar twist pattern and controllable far-zone lattice profile. It exhibits a Gaussian or a lattice-like intensity distribution in the source plane, while always turns into a 2×2 lattice profile in the far zone. Notably, the array profile twists around the propagation axis instead of each element rotating about its own lobe center, which is different from most of the twisted array models. Moreover, the splitting tendency in the intensity distribution could be flexibly modulated by the twisted factor, the source coherence and the beam width. The coherence distribution could rotate in the same direction as the intensity with appropriate choice of parameters. Finally, the cross-spectral density’s phase distribution exhibits a spiral windmill structure and coherent singularities could be observed upon propagation.

Optical skyrmions in the Bessel profile

Optical skyrmions formed in terms of polarization are topological quasi-particles, and they have garnered much interest in the optical community owing to their unique inhomogeneous polarization structure and simplicity in their experimental realization. These structures belong to the Poincaré beams satisfying the stable topology. We theoretically investigated the non-diffracting and self-healing Poincaré beams based on the superposition of two orthogonal Bessel modes by the longitudinal mode matching technique. These Poincaré beams are topologically protected, and we suggest them as optical skyrmions in the corresponding Stokes vector fields. These optical skyrmions are quasi-skyrmions, and their range of propagation depends on the range of superposed Bessel modes. We have shown longitudinal mode matching of superposed Bessel beams is a necessary condition for the generation of propagation-invariant and non-diffracting skyrmions. The proposed longitudinal mode matching technique facilitates the generation of skyrmions with tunable position and range without any on-axis intensity modulations along the propagation axis. A suitable experimental configuration is suggested to realize variable order skyrmions in Bessel modes. The suggested experimental configuration can produce optical skyrmions even in ultra-short laser pulses with high mode conversion efficacy. This work can provide a new direction for the generation of skyrmions with completely new textures and features with reference to existing skyrmions originating from Laguerre-Gaussian modes.

Experimental study of the influence of O2 content on electrical and optical characteristics of He/CF4 APPJ

CF4 is an important source of reactive F-containing species (RFS) so that it is used to mix with inert gas as the working gas of atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) for material surface fluoridation modification. The addition of a small amount of O2 can increase the density of RFS in He/CF4 APPJ. Therefore, the hydrodynamic, electrical and optical properties of He/CF4/O2 APPJ interacting with the dielectric are experimentally investigated in this paper. Meanwhile, the influence of the excitation source on plasma discharge is discussed in detail and the internal mechanism of the experimental phenomenon in this paper is analyzed using the simulation results based on the model established in the previous paper. It is found that the addition of a small amount of O2 can increase the intensity and accelerate the axial propagation speed of He/CF4 APPJ due to the low ionization energy of O2 and the increase of the Penning ionization between metastable He and O2. With the increase of O2 content, the stability of the discharge is gradually enhanced due to the electron attachment reaction of O2 and the position of the primary current pulse in each half voltage cycle gradually approaches the position of the peak voltage because the increase in O2 content raises the breakdown threshold in dielectric barrier discharge region. In the presence of downstream dielectric, the addition of 0.1%O2 does not significantly change the radial development radius of APPJ due to the higher electron attachment rate and electron collision excitation loss power. The discharge pulse intensity is generally reduced compared to the absence of dielectric and the glow discharge in the strict sense no longer exists. The continuous spectrum intensity of RFS increases with the addition of a small amount of O2 while decreases significantly when O2 content is too high.