Optical Vortex Formation in the Field of the Gaussian Beam with High Degree of Wavefront Curvature when Passing Through Undeformed Nematic Liquid Crystal

摘要

Diffraction of the focused circularly polarized Gaussian beam passed through an undeformed homeotropic nematic liquid crystal is considered. The parameters of two coaxial Gaussian beams and two optical vortices formed behind the liquid-crystal layer are determined. The difference in the positions of foci of Gaussian beams and vortices appears in the experiment as interference ring patterns. The efficiency of the beam transformation to optical vortices is calculated.