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Optics Express

Generation and manipulation of frequency-converted Airy vortex beam via atomic four-wave mixing

Sandan Wang, Jingyi Zhou, Xuewen Wang, Yi Hu, Jinpeng Yuan, Lirong Wang, Liantuan Xiao, Suotang Jia

Published Oct 5, 2026• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Airy vortex beams, which integrate orbital angular momentum with diffraction-resistant and self-accelerating characteristics of Airy beams, offer unique capabilities for high-capacity optical communication and high-resolution imaging. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the generation and manipulation of frequency-converted Airy vortex beams through four-wave mixing in hot Rb vapor. A 780 nm vortex beam and a 776 nm two-dimensional Airy beam coherently participate in the four-wave mixing process, generating a 420 nm output beam that combines the orbital angular momentum of the vortex beam with the spatial structure of the Airy beam. The generated beam exhibits pronounced quasi-nondiffracting propagation and self-acceleration, with an intensity decay rate reduced by a factor of ∼1.88 relative to the input vortex beam and a transverse acceleration ∼1.84 times that of the input Airy beam. Moreover, both the intensity and the spatial profile of the generated beam are flexibly manipulated by varying the Rb vapor temperature and the pump beam power. This work provides a versatile approach for generating and controlling structured light at what we believe are new wavelengths, opening opportunities for short-wavelength optical manipulation and optical information processing.

DOI
10.1364/oe.614937

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Airy vortex beams, which integrate orbital angular momentum with diffraction-resistant and self-accelerating characteristics of Airy beams, offer unique capabilities for high-capacity optical communication and high-resolution imaging. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the generation and manipulation of frequency-converted Airy vortex beams through four-wave mixing in hot Rb vapor. A 780 nm vortex beam and a 776 nm two-dimensional Airy beam coherently participate in the four-wave mixing process, generating a 420 nm output beam that combines the orbital angular momentum of the vortex beam with the spatial structure of the Airy beam. The generated beam exhibits pronounced quasi-nondiffracting propagation and self-acceleration, with an intensity decay rate reduced by a factor of ∼1.88 relative to the input vortex beam and a transverse acceleration ∼1.84 times that of the input Airy beam. Moreover, both the intensity and the spatial profile of the generated beam are flexibly manipulated by varying the Rb vapor temperature and the pump beam power. This work provides a versatile approach for generating and controlling structured light at what we believe are new wavelengths, opening opportunities for short-wavelength optical manipulation and optical information processing.
The Airy beam in the short-wavelength regime, endowed with tunable physical properties of self-acceleration, non-diffraction, and self-healing, holds significant promise for advancing high-resolution optical trapping and imaging.Here, we experimentally demonstrate a tunable blue-violet Airy beam generator based on a non-degenerate four-wave mixing process in a diamondtype energy level system of Rb atoms.The 420 nm signal two-dimensional Airy beam is generated when the 780 nm Gaussian pump and the 776 nm probe Airy beams simultaneously interact with the atomic medium.The physical properties of the Airy beam are transferred from the near-infrared (776 nm) to the blue-violet (420 nm) wavelength via the non-degenerate fourwave mixing process.Compared to the input 776 nm probe Airy beam, the generated 420 nm Airy beam exhibits ∼1.86 times reduction in non-diffraction distance and ∼1.83 times increase in acceleration owing to the nonlinear frequency conversion.Additionally, the self-healing property of the generated 420 nm Airy beam is verified by the robust reappearance of the blocked beam main lobe.The all-optical control of the generated 420 nm Airy beam is achieved by tuning the Rb vapor temperature and the pump beam power, enabling dynamic manipulation of beam intensity and spatial profile.Our work establishes a versatile platform for generating a tunable short-wavelength structured light field by nonlinear light-matter interactions, opening avenues for applications in optical information processing and precision microfabrication.
Abstract This study presents a theoretical exploration of generating 420 nm Bessel-Gaussian beam with orbital angular momentum (OAM) via nonlinear processes in a four-level 85 Rb atomic system. A non-degenerate four-wave mixing (FWM) configuration, driven by two strong control fields at wavelengths 780 nm and 776 nm along with a weak field, enables the generation of the desired blue Bessel-Gaussian beam. Our analysis examines how the Bessel-Gaussian properties of the initial beams including intensity, phase profiles, and topological charges are transferred into the generated 420 nm beam at specific transverse positions. Using Maxwell’s wave equations, we explicitly explore how these spatial profiles evolve with varying topological charges over different propagation distances, providing deeper insights into Bessel-Gaussian information transfer mechanisms. The generation and characterization of 420 nm structured beam highlight promising applications, particularly in the precise manipulation of microparticles, due to their enhanced resolution and superior trapping abilities. This comprehensive theoretical framework establishes a foundation for future experimental and applied research in optical manipulation and high-resolution imaging.
Multichannel vortex beams serve as an essential physical source for enabling multi-spot laser processing and high-dimensional spatial multiplexing communications. We demonstrate a compact, flexibly tunable multichannel vortex beam generator using spatially structured bidirectional two-color pump vortex four-wave mixing in a single 133Cs vapor cell. To enhance spatial multiplexing, both sides of the cell are utilized. By engineering the propagation directions and frequencies of five input beams, we establish a nonlinear interaction region that supports 16 concurrent phase-matching conditions, thereby enabling the parallel generation of up to eight vortex channels. The orbital angular momentum of the output beams follows deterministic algebraic rules, allowing for programmable control via tailored input orbital angular momentum combinations. Moreover, the channel count can be linearly tuned by selectively deactivating pumps—each switched-off pump reduces the number of output channels by two. This flexible control over orbital angular momentum states, together with channel count and spatial arrangement, establishes a highly integrated platform for on-demand vortex generation. This work highlights the potential of spatially bidirectional structured pumping in atomic vapor to expand optical dimensionality and enhance multiplexing capacity, paving the way toward multidimensional communications, quantum networks, and integrated photonics.
We use a conventional linear Airy beam to prepare a nonlinear Airy beam via four-wave mixing (FWM) and six-wave mixing (SWM) processes in an atomic vapor. We find that its ballistic trajectory is a result of the competition between the transverse self-acceleration and nonlinear phase shift, and the intensity of Airy beam's sub lobes or main lobe is suppressed due to destructive interference of the FWM and SWM processes. By controlling the nonlinear overlap area of the linear Airy beam and two Gaussian beams, we find that the Airy beam's profile varies from one-dimensional (1D) to two-dimensional (2D). The profile evolution process can be applied to create a new (to our knowledge) type of nonlinear filter. In addition, we also observe the Airy beam's pattern in momentum space with electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in an atomic vapor. Our research results open up new possibilities for manipulating Airy beams that cannot be achieved with a conventional Airy beam.
We report on an experimental generation of Airy beams by four-wave mixing (FWM) in atomic vapor cells. This is achieved by using a non-degenerate FWM process, which occurs with two Gaussian pump beams and one Airy signal beam in hot Rubidium vapor. After satisfying the phase matching condition, a FWM field with the profile of an Airy beam can be generated. In our experiment, the diffraction-free and self-healing behaviors of the generated FWM beam are examined. The results shown that the generated FWM beam is an Airy beam. The nonlinear generation process can be extended to other configurations in the atomic medium, which will be useful for manipulation and application of Airy beams in atomic systems.
This paper investigates the potential of nonlinear processes in an inhomogeneously broadened atomic ensemble to generate an Airy beam in the mid-IR regime. We concentrate on a four-level 85 Rb atomic system that interacts nonlinearly with two strong control fields and a weak probe field. This interaction results in a non-degenerate four-wave mixing (FWM) signal at a wavelength of 5.23 µm, facilitating the transfer of Airy features from the probe field to the mid-IR FWM signal. Using computational methods, we numerically solve Maxwell’s wave equation in the paraxial limit, demonstrating the successful transfer of Airy beam-induced spatial inhomogeneity from atomic coherence to the generated mid-IR signal. We show the generation of a finite-energy mid-IR Airy beam through the nonlinear FWM process, with transverse intensity variations observed at different propagation lengths, offering enhanced visualization of the Airy beam’s evolution. The generation and manipulation of the Airy beam provides significant advantages for imaging, sensing, spectroscopy, and optical communications. Their self-healing properties and ability to preserve beam integrity over long distances enhance precision, resolution, and reliability, making them ideal for various mid-IR applications.