NEAR AND FAR FIELD OPTICAL PATTERNS FORMATION BY ROTATIONAL SYMMETRY MASKS: APPLICATION TO OPTICAL SPATIAL SOLITON GENERATION

In this report we present the formation of necklace type optical beams from Gaussian beam by rotational symmetry masks. The detailed studies of space evolution of the optical beam formation from the near field to the far field by the use of 7-fold symmetry mask and a single mode laser beam were performed. Different types of necklace beams with different numbers of "pearls" periodically or quasi-periodically situated along the different radii rings were observed during the space evolution of the optical diffraction pattern.