Conical refraction was produced by a transparent biaxial crystal of KGd(WO4)2 illuminated by a laser beam. The ring patterns at different distances from the crystal were magnified and projected onto a screen, giving rings whose diameter was 265 mm. Comparison with theory revealed all predicted geometrical and diffraction features: close to the crystal, there are two bright rings of internal con...

We demonstrate advantages in terms of trapping force distribution and laser efficiency that come from using a telescopic pair of conical lenses ('axicon') to generate a ring-like beam, that in conjunction with a high NA objective is used for direct optical trapping with a focused evanescent field near a surface. Various field geometries are considered and compared. First, a Gaussian beam and a ...

We propose and demonstrate a global and efficient approach for scalar and vectorial beam shaping based on the interaction of circularly polarized light with a single piece of homogeneous anisotropic medium. The main idea is to mimic the behavior of a two-dimensional inhomogeneous birefringent medium with a radial distribution of its optical axis. This is done by transforming an incident Gaussia...

für Naturforschung in cooperation with the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Dieses Werk wurde im Jahr 2013 vom Verlag Zeitschrift für Naturforschung in Zusammenarbeit mit der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V. digitalisiert und unter folgender Lizenz veröffentlicht: Creative Commons Namen...

A theory of the recently discussed and demonstrated novel phenomenon of self-phase-matching [B.Glushko, B. Kryzhanovsky, and D. Sarkisyan, Phys. Rev. Lett. 71, 243 (1993)j is given by representing the conical beam, produced in the experiments, by a Bessel beam and as a superposition of Bessel beams. The predictions of the theory with the superposition of Bessel beams are in conformity with the ...

We propose to use a refractive conical axicon for generating azimutally polarized beams. investigate polarization states of optical rays passing through an interface between media, and also transformation with axicon. develop software raytracing which correctly processes the visualizes ellipses polarization. The state is described in Jones notation based on energy conservation law. derive imple...

Duct-profiling in test samples up to 25 mm in diameter has been demonstrated using a passive, low-coherence probe head with a depth resolution of 7.8 μm, incorporating an optical-fibre-linked conical mirror addressed by a custom-built array of single-mode fibres. Zemax modelling, and experimental assessment of instrument performance, show that degradation of focus, resulting from astigmatism in...

An optical system for illumination of object in x-ray imaging microscopy is developed. The optical system is a beam condenser consisting of a single-bounce conical-shape mono-capillary (x-ray guide tube: XGT) made of Pyrex glass. The XGT condenser was tested at the beam line 47XU of SPring-8 using a Fresnel zone plate as an objective lens. Comparing with the microscope without beam condenser, t...

We describe a fast figure metrology system designed for the several thousand mirror quadrants in the High Energy Focusing Telescope (HEFT) balloon experiment. HEFT's multilayer coated hard x-ray optics will have ~ 1 arcminute HEW and operate at 20-80 keV. The optics are a conical approximation to the Wolter-I configuration. Our automated system can measure the axial figure error, in-phase and o...