Exact elegant Laguerre-Gaussian vector wave packets

Abstract

An exact closed-form representation is derived of a vector elegant Laguerre-Gaussian wave packet. Its space-time representation consists of three mutually orthogonal field components - of a common azimuthal index and different radial indices - uniquely distinguished by first three powers of the paraxial parameter. The transverse components are of tm-radial and te-azimuthal polarization and appear, under their normal incidence, to be eigenmodes of any horizontally planar, homogeneous and isotropic structure, with eigenvalues given by the reflection and transmission coefficients. In this context, the interrelations between the cross-polarization symmetries of wave packets in free space and at medium planar interfaces are discussed.