Formation of optical vortices through superposition of two Gaussian beams

We observe phase singularities in the superposed field of two Gaussian beams. It is seen that the formation of these singularities depends on the tilt between two Gaussian beams and the separation of their beam axes. By reversing the angle or the position of the beams, one can change the sign of the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied optics (2004) 2013-09, Vol.52 (27), p.6652-6656
Main Authors: Vaity, Pravin, Aadhi, A, Singh, R P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Beams (radiation)
Camber
Density
Fluid flow
Gaussian beams (optics)
Singularities
Tilt
Vortices
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Summary:We observe phase singularities in the superposed field of two Gaussian beams. It is seen that the formation of these singularities depends on the tilt between two Gaussian beams and the separation of their beam axes. By reversing the angle or the position of the beams, one can change the sign of the vortex. We have shown the formation of single as well as multiple vortices by changing the tilt angle and the position of two Gaussian beams. The experimental results are verified with theoretical analysis. We also observe that such a vortex structure can be formed through superposition of two backreflected Gaussian beams from any optical element with two flat surfaces, as illustrated through a beam splitter and a neutral density filter. This technique is very useful for generation of vortices with high-power lasers where one cannot use a spatial light modulator.
ISSN:1559-128X
2155-3165
DOI:10.1364/AO.52.006652