Diffraction-resistant scalar beams generated by a parabolic reflector and a source of spherical waves

Appl Opt. 2015 Jul 1;54(19):5949-55. doi: 10.1364/AO.54.005949.

Abstract

In this work, we propose the generation of diffraction-resistant beams by using a parabolic reflector and a source of spherical waves positioned at a point slightly displaced from its focus (away from the reflector). In our analysis, considering the reflector dimensions much greater than the wavelength, we describe the main characteristics of the resulting beams, showing their properties of resistance to the diffraction effects. Due to its simplicity, this method may be an interesting alternative for the generation of long-range diffraction-resistant waves.