A new geometrical model for the fundamental mode of a Gaussian beam is presented in the oblate spheroidal coordinate system. The model is an interpretation of a Gaussian amplitude wave function, which is an exact solution of the scalar Helmholtz equation. The model uses the skew-line generator of a hyperboloid of one sheet as a raylike element on a contour of constant amplitude. The geometrical...

We investigate the self-focusing dynamics of super-Gaussian optical beams in a Kerr medium. We find that up to several times the critical power for self-focusing, super-Gaussian beams evolve towards a Townes profile. At higher powers the super-Gaussian beams form rings which break into filaments as a result of noise. Our results are consistent with the observed self-focusing dynamics of femtose...

A method for efficiently converting a Gaussian beam into a helical Laguerre–Gaussian (LG) beam is presented. It is based on using a pair of axicons to produce a shifted-Gaussian (doughnut) intensity distribution that is then passed through a spiral phase element. It is shown that the conversion efficiency can be as high as 98%, and the calculated far-field intensity distributions of the output ...

Starting with the Wigner function formulation for beam wave propagation in Hölder continuous non-Gaussian random refractive index fields we show that the wave beam regime naturally leads to the white-noise scaling limit and converges to a Gaussian Markovian model which is characterized the martingale problem associated to a stochastic differential-integral equation of the Ito type. In the geome...

We propose a novel technique for arbitrary wavefront shaping in quadratic nonlinear crystals by introducing the concept of computer-generated holograms (CGHs) into the nonlinear optical regime. We demonstrate the method experimentally showing a conversion of a fundamental Gaussian beam pump light into the first three Hermite-Gaussian beams at the second harmonic in a stoichiometric lithium tant...

We outline a theory for the calculation of the beam quality factor of an aberrated laser beam. We provide closed-form equations that show that the beam quality factor of an aberrated Gaussian beam depends on all primary aberrations except tilt, defocus, and x-astigmatism. The model is verified experimentally by implementing aberrations as digital holograms in the laboratory.

We derive the polarization-dependent displacements parallel and perpendicular to the plane of incidence for a Gaussian light beam reflected from a planar interface, taking into account the propagation of the beam. Using a classical-optics formalism we show that beam propagation may greatly affect both Goos-Hänchen and Imbert-Fedorov shifts when the incident beam is focused.

In this article a typical near field output power distribution of an optical fiber is obtained with conventional cross sectional imaging of the fiber output beam and is used to predict the overlapped output beam of a fiber bundle. The proposed fiber bundle is a design system for power delivery of a light source to the target, specifically for medical applications. A Gaussian surface is generate...

I use the angular spectrum representation to compute exactly the Gaussian beam close to the waist (w(0)) in the case of a highly nonparaxial field (w(0)<lambda). The computation is done in the vectorial case for a polarized Gaussian beam. In the area of the waist, the contribution of the propagating and evanescent waves is discussed. Moreover, the Gaussian wave is developed in terms of a series...

The propagation of Ince-Gaussian beams in media where the refractive index varies quadratically with the distance from the optical axis is studied. Explicit expressions for the complex beam parameter and the longitudinal phase shift are derived and discussed. Ince-Gaussian eigenmodes with constant width can be obtained by satisfying a relation between the beam width and the quadratic-medium coe...