Generating arbitrary arrays of circular Airy Gaussian vortex beams with a single digital hologram

Abstract

Circular Airy Gaussian vortex (CAGV) beams have gained great popularity in areas of research such as optical tweezers and optical communications due to their fascinating properties, such as auto-focusing and self-healing. The propagation dynamics of these beams is dictated by their topological charge and launch angle. For example, larger topological charges and positive launch angles enhance the maximum intensity in the focal plane while simultaneously shortening the focal length of autofocusing. Crucially, while the generation of single CAGV beams has been widely reported, the simultaneous generation of multiple CAGV beams, has remained challenging. Here, we put forward a novel technique that enables the simultaneous generation of multiple CAGV beams with independent topological charges or initial launch angles from a single digital hologram encoded on a spatial light modulator (SLM). Our technique enables the independent manipulation of each CAGV beam, their topological charge and launch angle, at refresh rates limited only by the SLM (60 Hz). This technique paves the way for the simultaneous manipulation of microparticles in three dimensions and provides with an alternative way to realize optical communications with multiple spatial modes of light.