Improved generation method utilizing a modified Fourier spectrum for Airy beams with the phase-only filter technique.

We present an improved method to generate Airy beams utilizing a liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) device. In this method, the phase and amplitude information of a modified Fourier spectrum of an Airy beam together with a Fresnel holographic lens is encoded onto the LCoS using the phase-only filter technique; thus, a desired Airy beam is formed in the focal plane of the Fresnel holographic lens. In this paper, the principle of the proposed method is described in detail, and both the excellent numerical simulations and experimental results for verifying this method are demonstrated. It is shown that the new generation method is accurate and simple; in particular, the setup is more compact compared to the conventional Fourier transform method, which comprises only the input polarized laser and a LCoS device. This effective method will further promote investigations into the properties and applications of Airy beams. (C) 2017 Optical Society of America