On the properties of circular beams: normalization, Laguerre–Gauss expansion, and free-space divergence

摘要

Circular beams were introduced as a very general solution to the paraxial wave equation carrying orbital angular momentum. Here, we study their properties by looking at their normalization and their expansion in terms of Laguerre–Gauss modes. We also study their far-field divergence and, for particular cases of the beam parameters, their possible experimental generation.