Dual Airy Beam Research Articles

Multiple Airy beam generation by a digital micro mirror device.

The Airy beam is the solution of Maxwell's wave equation and since this equation is linear, a superposition of Airy beams still remains the solution of the wave equation. In this paper, we propose a method for generating multiple Airy beams that includes a desirable number of up to 6 individual Airy beams with desirable acceleration properties. By introducing a decenter into the designed diffractive optical element (DOE) of an Airy beam the problem of generating dual airy beams patterns by an amplitude-based spatial light modulator is solved. By superimposing the designed DOEs of individual Airy beams and scaling them to the proper gray level range, the DOE of the multiple Airy beams is generated. Displaying this DOE on a digital micromirror device, multiple Airy beams are experimentally produced. The experimental studies of these beams show good agreement with the performed simulations.

Depth-resolved volumetric two-photon microscopy based on dual Airy beam scanning.

We demonstrate dual-Airy-beam-scanning-based volumetric two-photon microscopy (TPM) with depth-resolving capability. A pair of Airy beams with opposite acceleration is used as the excitation lights to sequentially illuminate the sample, and depth information can be resolved based on the deflection of the Airy beam. The depth-resolving range of the volumetric TPM is up to 32μm. The advantages of the depth-resolved volumetric TPM are the depth-resolving capability over Bessel-beam-based TPM and less scanning times over traditional Gaussian-beam-based TPM. The depth-resolved volumetric TPM provides a promising fast imaging tool to study the dynamics in neural biology.

Self-induced periodic interfering behavior of dual Airy beam in strongly nonlocal medium.

Based on a reduction of nonlocal nonlinear Schrödinger equation in strongly nonlocal regime, the linear Schrödinger equation with parabolic potential, analytical results describing the evolution of dual Airy beam are presented. The results show that the dual Airy beam in strongly nonlocal medium exhibits a periodic focusing and defocusing behavior, and forms the interference fringes between the focusing and defocusing positions. The analytical results are verified by numerically solving nonlocal nonlinear Schrödinger equation and shown to be reasonable when the characteristic response width is broader than the width of the dual Airy beam. Furthermore, the characteristics of the interference fringes induced by the dual Airy beam are also investigated in detail, and can be used for the measurement of the system parameters. In addition, we propose a scheme to generate dual Airy beam in strongly nonlocal medium.

Optical Bloch Oscillations of a Dual Airy Beam

AbstractWe investigate the propagation of a dual Airy beam in Hermitian and non‐Hermitian waveguides, theoretically and numerically. Optical Bloch oscillations (OBOs) of the beam are demonstrated during propagation in both types of waveguides, and the numerical OBO period is found to be in accordance with the theoretical predictions. The two branches of the dual Airy beam do not display translational symmetry — the peaks will form in one branch only, due to the desynchronized Bragg reflection of the lobes. In the non‐Hermitian waveguides, the dual Airy beam will be damped or amplified during propagation — depending on the imaginary part of the complex potential, which may provide loss or gain to the beam. In the ‐symmetric‐like potential, the dual Airy beam may undergo amplification during propagation, but the total power will exhibit a stair‐like behavior. The non‐reciprocity is also exhibited by the dual Airy beam in such a potential. We believe that our research not only provides a new geometry for optical switches but also deepens the understanding of OBO in dual Airy beams.

Polarization-controllable Airy beams generated via a photoaligned director-variant liquid crystal mask.

Researches on Airy beams have grown explosively since the first demonstration in 2007 due to the distinguishing properties of nondiffraction, transverse acceleration and self-healing. To date, a simple and compact approach for generating Airy beams in high quality and efficiency has remained challenging. Here, we propose and demonstrate a liquid crystal (LC) polarization Airy mask (PAM) featured by spatially variant LC azimuthal director. The PAM is fabricated through photoaligning LC via a polarization-sensitive alignment agent suophonic azo dye SD1. Thanks to the special design, a novel feature of polarization-controllable switch between dual Airy beams of orthogonal circular polarization is presented. The molecular-level continuity of LC director significantly improves the quality and efficiency of resultant Airy beams. Besides, the PAM can handle intense light due to the absence of absorptive electrodes. Additional merits of compact size, low cost and broad wavelength tolerance are also exhibited. This work settles a fundamental requirement for Airy beam applications of optical manipulations, biology science and even some uncharted territories.

Fractional Schrödinger equation in optics.

In quantum mechanics, the space-fractional Schrödinger equation provides a natural extension of the standard Schrödinger equation when the Brownian trajectories in Feynman path integrals are replaced by Levy flights. Here an optical realization of the fractional Schrödinger equation, based on transverse light dynamics in aspherical optical cavities, is proposed. As an example, a laser implementation of the fractional quantum harmonic oscillator is presented in which dual Airy beams can be selectively generated under off-axis longitudinal pumping.

Airy beams generated by ultrafast laser-imprinted space-variant nanostructures in glass.

We demonstrate a technique to generate accelerating Airy beams with a femtosecond laser-imprinted space variant birefringent structure in silica glass. Our approach enables the generation of dual Airy beams with polarization sensitive beam deflection. The produced beam is used for the glass scribing. After the glass-breaking process, a spontaneous self-detachment of a fiber-like structure occurs that can be exploited as an alternative way for fabricating glass cantilevers.

Propagation of symmetric tunable dual airy beam through ABCD optical system

A simple mathematical model is proposed to describe symmetric tunable dual Airy beam (STDAB) [Opt. Lett. 39 (2014) 2370; Opt. Lett. 38 (2013) 1286; Opt. Lett. 37 (2012) 3402]. This beam is composed of two conventional Airy beams with a tunable parameter which have several distinguishing features. For example, the intensity distribution of the beam can be Gaussian, elliptical Gaussian, rectangular Gaussian or dumbbell shaped with difference tunable parameters. Based on the Collins integral formula, an analytical expression of the STDAB passing through a paraxial ABCD optical system is derived. For special cases, the propagation properties of the beams in free space and in chiral medium, passing a thin lens and passing a fractional Fourier transformation system are studied.