Discrete Cylindrical Vector Beam Generation from an Array of Optical Fibers

A novel method is presented for the beam shaping of far field intensity distributions of coherently combined fiber arrays. The fibers are arranged uniformly on the perimeter of a circle, and the linearly polarized beams of equal shape are superimposed such that the far field pattern represents an effective radially polarized vector beam, or discrete cylindrical vector (DCV) beam. The DCV beam is produced by three or more beams that each individually have a varying polarization vector. The beams are appropriately distributed in the near field such that the far field intensity distribution has a central null. This result is in contrast to the situation of parallel linearly polarized beams, where the intensity peaks on axis. (C) 2009 Optical Society of America