Radial coherent and intelligent states of paraxial wave equation

Ladder operators for the radial index of the paraxial optical modes in the cylindrical coordinates are calculated. The operators obey the su(1, 1) algebra commutation relations. Based on this Lie algebra, we found that coherent modes constructed as eigenstates of the destruction operator or resulting from the action of the displacement operator on the fundamental mode are different. Some properties of these two kinds of radial coherent modes are studied in detail. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America