Diffractive analysis of spiral checkerboard zone plate

This work studies the unique behavior of spiral checkerboard zone plates under plane wave illumination. The element is constructed by superimposing two orthogonal helical linear zone plates. Based on their topological charge, various structured beams are generated whose structures display fascinating dynamics. Structure transforming, vortex pair production, annihilation, and the interaction of dipole and singular vortices, are some of the observed phenomena during the beam propagation produced by the element. On top of all that, we see the interaction of screw dislocations in the way that they get closer together when the diffracted beam propagates toward the focus, and they move away from each other as the beam moves away from the focus.

Automated summary

This work investigates the distinct behavior of spiral checkerboard zone plates when illuminated by a plane wave. The element is composed of two orthogonal helical linear zone plates. By considering their topological charge, various structured beams are generated, exhibiting fascinating dynamics. Phenomena observed during the propagation of the beam include structure transformation, vortex pair production and annihilation, as well as the interaction between dipole and singular vortices. Additionally, the study highlights the interaction of screw dislocations, where they approach each other as the diffracted beam propagates towards the focus and move apart as the beam diverges from the focus.