Properties and diffraction of vector Bessel-Gauss beams

We examine a family of Bessel-Gauss beam solutions to the vector wave equation that allow a combination of azimuthal and radial polarization in the transverse electric field. Recently reported linear and azimuthal Bessel-Gauss beams may be identified as members of this set. Several free parameters determine the form and behavior of each beam; varying these parameters can produce distinctly different intensity patterns and beam behavior. We find a general diffraction integral for circularly symmetric disturbances and investigate two special cases, a thin lens and a circular aperture. (C) 1998 Optical Society of America [S0740-3232(98)01212-5].