Propagation-invariant vortex Airy beam whose singular point follows its main lobe

Abstract

We propose and demonstrate a novel vortex Airy beam which is a superposition of an Airy beam and its laterally sheared beam with a $\pi/2$ phase shift. This new-type of vortex Airy beam exhibits stable propagation dynamics, wherein its singular point closely follows its main lobe, unlike conventional vortex Airy beams. Notably, the orbital angular mode purity of this new vortex Airy beam is up to 10% better than that of a conventional vortex Airy beam. We anticipate that this new type of vortex Airy beam, which combines the characteristics of an optical vortex and a diffraction-free Airy beam, will facilitate new directions in applications such as microscopy, material processing and nonlinear optics.