Eur. Phys. J. D (2012) 66: 59
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2012-20603-x

Regular Article

Propagation of Ince-Gaussian beams in uniaxial crystals orthogonal to the optical axis

School of Sciences, Zhejiang A & F University, Lin’an 311300, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China

^a e-mail: zhouguoquan178@sohu.com

Received: 17 October 2011
Received in final form: 12 December 2011
Published online: 1 March 2012

Abstract

An analytical propagation expression of an Ince-Gaussian beam in uniaxial crystals orthogonal to the optical axis is derived. The uniaxial crystal considered here has the property of the extraordinary refractive index being larger than the ordinary refractive index. The Ince-Gaussian beam in the transversal direction along the optical axis spreads more rapidly than that in the other transversal direction. With increasing the ratio of the extraordinary refractive index to the ordinary refractive index, the spreading of the Ince-Gaussian beam in the transversal direction along the optical axis increases and the spreading of the Ince-Gaussian beam in the other transversal direction decreases. The effective beam size in the transversal direction along the optical axis is always larger than that in the other transversal direction. When the even and odd modes of Ince-Gaussian beams exist simultaneously, the effective beam size in the direction along the optical axis of the odd Ince-Gaussian beam is smaller than that of the even Ince-Gaussian beam in the corresponding direction, and the effective beam size in the transversal direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the odd Ince-Gaussian beam is larger than that of the even Ince-Gaussian beam in the corresponding direction.