Abstract

Necessary and sufficient conditions are presented that determine a generalized class of propagation-invariant wave fields. The existence of wave fields with transverse distributions that are periodically reproduced with different azimuthal orientations is demonstrated. These fields are conveniently described in the longitudinal-azimuthal frequency representation. An interesting subclass is characterized by aperiodic rotated self-images, in the sense that they never return to their original orientation along the propagation. Other subclasses include the conventional self-imaging wave fields, the so-called nondiffracting beams, and the rotating wave fields.

© 1998 Optical Society of America

Propagation-invariant wave fields with finite energy

Rafael Piestun, Yoav Y. Schechner, and Joseph Shamir
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 17(2) 294-303 (2000)

General vectorial decomposition of electromagnetic fields with application to propagation-invariant and rotating fields

Pertti Pääkkönen, Jani Tervo, Pasi Vahimaa, Jari Turunen, and Franco Gori
Opt. Express 10(18) 949-959 (2002)

Propagation invariance and self-imaging in variable-coherence optics

Jari Turunen, Antti Vasara, and Ari T. Friberg
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 8(2) 282-289 (1991)

Generalized eikonal approximation. 2. Propagation of stationary electromagnetic waves in linear and nonlinear media

S. C. Yap, B. C. Quek, and K. S. Low
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 15(10) 2725-2729 (1998)

Propagation-invariant spot arrays

Ville Kettunen and Jari Turunen
Opt. Lett. 23(16) 1247-1249 (1998)