Exact description of a cylindrically symmetrical complex-argument Laguerre-Gauss beam

Opt Lett. 2008 May 15;33(10):1074-6. doi: 10.1364/ol.33.001074.

Abstract

Based on the perturbative series representation of a complex-source-point spherical wave an expression for cylindrically symmetrical complex-argument Laguerre-Gauss beams of radial order n is derived. This description acquires the accuracy up to any order of diffraction angle, and its first three corrected terms are in accordance with those given by Seshadri [Opt. Lett.27, 1872 (2002)] based on the virtual source method. Numerical results show that on the beam axis the number of orders of nonvanishing nonparaxial corrections is equal to n. Meanwhile a higher radial mode number n leads to a smaller convergent domain of radius.