Mode Conversion of Gaussian Beams at Dielectric Interfaces

Abstract

We investigate mode conversion of $\mathrm{TEM}_{00}$ Gaussian beams upon transmission through planar dielectric interfaces. We show that the angle-dependent Fresnel coefficients act as a spatial filter, inevitably generating higher-order spatial modes. Using a vector angular spectrum formulation and numerical simulations, we reveal that this polarization-dependent filtering induces a coupling from $\mathrm{TEM}_{00}$ into higher-order Laguerre-Gaussian modes, yielding a quadrupolar field pattern. We quantify the associated amplitude and phase deviations, showing that the mode fidelity decreases significantly as the beam waist approaches the diffraction limit.