Fractional Schr\"{o}dinger equation in optics

Abstract

In quantum mechanics, the space-fractional Schr\"{o}dinger equation provides a natural extension of the standard Schr\"{o}dinger equation when the Brownian trajectories in Feynman path integrals are replaced by Levy flights. Here an optical realization of the fractional Schr\"{o}dinger equation, based on transverse light dynamics in aspherical optical cavities, is proposed. As an example a laser implementation of the fractional quantum harmonic oscillator is presented, in which dual Airy beams can be selectively generated under off-axis longitudinal pumping.