We observe optical trapping and manipulation of dielectric microparticles using autofocusing radially symmetric Airy beams. This is accomplished by exploiting either the inward or outward transverse acceleration associated with their chirped wavefronts. We experimentally demonstrate, for the first time to our knowledge, that such Airy beams morph into nondiffracting Bessel beams in their far-field. Furthermore, the ability of guiding and transporting microparticles along the primary rings of this class of beams is explored.

We show that new families of diffraction-free nonparaxial accelerating optical beams can be generated by considering the symmetries of the underlying vectorial Helmholtz equation. Both two-dimensional transverse electric and magnetic accelerating wave fronts are possible, capable of moving along elliptic trajectories. Experimental results corroborate these predictions when these waves are launched from either the major or minor axis of the ellipse. In addition, three-dimensional spherical nondiffracting field configurations are presented along with their evolution dynamics. Finally, fully vectorial self-similar accelerating optical wave solutions are obtained via oblate-prolate spheroidal wave functions. In all occasions, these effects are illustrated via pertinent examples.

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Abstract:We demonstrate that the pump's spatial input profile can provide additional degrees of freedom in tailoring at will the nonlinear dynamics and the ensuing spectral content of supercontinuum generation in highly multimoded optical fibers. Experiments and simulations carried out at 1550 nm indicate that the modal composition of the input beam can substantially alter the soliton fission process as well as the resulting Raman and dispersive wave generation that eventually lead to supercontinuum in such a multimode environment. Given the multitude of conceivable initial conditions, our results suggest that it is possible to pre-engineer the supercontinuum spectral content in a versatile manner. waveguides," Appl. Phys. Lett. 24(7), 308-310 (1974). 11. R. Stolen, "Phase-matched-stimulated four-photon mixing in silica-fiber waveguides," IEEE J. Quantum Electron. 11(3), 100-103 (1975). 12. R. Stolen and J. Bjorkholm, "Parametric amplification and frequency conversion in optical fibers," IEEE J.Quantum Electron. 18(7), 1062-1072 (1982). 13. A. Hasegawa, "Self-confinement of multimode optical pulse in a glass fiber," Opt. Lett. 5(10), 416-417 (1980). 14. B. Crosignani and P. Di Porto, "Soliton propagation in multimode optical fibers," Opt. Lett. 6(7), 329-330 (1981). 15. A. B. Grudinin, E. M. Dianov, D. V. Korbkin, A. M. Prokhorov, and D. V. Khaidarov, "Nonlinear mode coupling in multimode optical fibers; excitation of femtosecond-range stimulated-Raman-scattering solitons," Sov.