M. A. Jácome-Silva | Searcharxiv

arXiv2026

From Rings to Top-Hat beams

We present the exact analytical paraxial propagation of structured light beams that transition from Ring annular profiles to top-hat intensity distributions. The initial field is defined as a superposition of a Gaussian-weighted power-law core and a singular inverse-quadratic modulation term, both carrying an azimuthal phase factor. By solving the Fresnel diffraction integral in cylindrical coordinates, we obtain exact closed-form expressions for the propagated field at arbitrary planes. The paraxial evolution is shown to be governed by a Cauchy-Riemann beam term and an infinite series of modified Bessel functions of the second kind weighted by an azimuthal phase factor. This analytical framework demonstrates how tuning the source parameters enables a continuous transition from ring-dominated annular profiles to uniform top-hat beams. For the fundamental mode ($l=0$), the singular component fills the central intensity null, producing a flat transverse plateau.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2026

Paraxial beam propagation from Airy-type initial conditions via the Operator Method

We employ quantum mechanical operator techniques to solve the equations of $(1+1)D$ and $(2+1)D$ for paraxial waves with initial conditions defined by Airy-type functions. In the first part, we find the expressions of $(1+1)D$ optical beams, considering initial conditions such as Airy, Airy-truncated, and Airy-Gaussian functions. Subsequently, we extended the analysis to $(2+1)D$ optical beams with initial conditions generated by the product of two Airy, two Airy-truncated and two Airy-Gaussian functions, providing a comprehensive study of multidimensional Airy beam propagation. To validate our theoretical derivations, we present both theoretical and experimental intensity profiles, showing excellent agreement between the two, illustrating the physical characteristics of these beams. Although these solutions have previously been obtained via the diffraction integral and thoroughly studied, the primary goal here is to demonstrate that the optical fields can be derived using quantum mechanical operator methods. Finally, we remark that this alternative approach offers an elegant and powerful framework for analyzing paraxial wave propagation.

physics.optics↗