Beam spreading of vortex beams propagating in turbulent atmosphere

We present some results obtained by numerical modeling of the propagation of vortex beams LG(0l) through a randomly inhomogeneous medium. The vortex beams are the lower order Laguerre-Gaussian modes. Such beams, if propagated under conditions of weak turbulence, also experience distortions, like a Gaussian beam. However, the statistically averaged vortex beams (LG(0l)) conserve the central intensity dip with a nonzero intensity on the beam axis. The beam broadening of vortex beams is analyzed. The average vortex beams are found to be broadened less than the Gaussian beam while propagated through a randomly inhomogeneous medium. The higher the topological charge l is, the smaller the beam broadening is.