Generation of Talbot-like fields.

We present an integral of diffraction based on particular eigenfunctions of the Laplacian in two dimensions. We show how to propagate some fields, in particular a Bessel field, a superposition of Airy beams, both over the square root of the radial coordinate, and show how to construct a field that reproduces itself periodically in propagation, i.e.

Simple techniques to generate binary periodical polarization fields.

We report two new, to the best of our knowledge, methods to generate polarization gratings, whose basic cells are formed by sections that are orthogonally polarized. One of the methods employs a spatial filtering setup that modulates the diffraction orders in the Fourier domain of a Ronchi grating, with two orthogonal polarizations. In the second method, a binary phase modulation, generated by a liquid crystal device, is converted into orthogonal polarizations in different zones of an incident beam.

Efficient generation of Hermite-Gauss and Ince-Gauss beams through kinoform phase elements.

We discuss the generation of Hermite-Gauss and Ince-Gauss beams employing phase elements whose transmittances coincide with the phase modulations of such beams. A scaled version of the desired field appears, distorted by marginal optical noise, at the element's Fourier domain. The motivation to perform this study is that, in the context of the proposed approach, the desired beams are generated with the maximum possible efficiency.

Optimum generation of annular vortices using phase diffractive optical elements.

An annular vortex of arbitrary integer topological charge q can be obtained at the Fourier domain of appropriate phase diffractive optical elements. In this context we prove that the diffractive element that generates the vortex with maximum peak intensity has the phase modulation of a propagation-invariant qth order Bessel beam. We discuss additional advantages of this phase element as annular vortex generator.

Comparing efficiency and accuracy of the kinoform and the helical axicon as Bessel-Gauss beam generators.

We compare two phase optical elements that are employed to generate approximate Bessel-Gauss beams of arbitrary order. These elements are the helical axicon (HA) and the kinoform of the desired Bessel-Gauss beam. The HA generates a Bessel beam (BB) by free propagation, and the kinoform is employed in a Fourier spatial filtering optical setup.