Orbital Angular Momentum Density of a Hollow Vortex Gaussian Beam

Here the hollow vortex Gaussian beam is described by the exact solution of the Maxwell equations. By means of the method of the vectorial angular spectrum, analytical expressions of the electromagnetic fields of a hollow vortex Gaussian beam propagating in free space are derived. By using the electromagnetic fields of a hollow vortex Gaussian beam beyond the paraxial approximation, one can calculate the orbital angular momentum density distribution of a hollow vortex Gaussian beam in free space. The overall transverse components of the orbital angular momentum of a hollow vortex Gaussian beam are equal to zero. Therefore, the influences of the topological charge, beam order, Gaussian waist size, and linearly polarized angle on the distribution of longitudinal component of the orbital angular momentum density of a hollow vortex Gaussian beam are numerically demonstrated in the reference plane. The outcome is useful to optical trapping, optical guiding, and optical manipulation using the hollow vortex Gaussian beams.