LG beam mask thumbnail
LG beam mask

The phase component of a Laguerre-Gauss beam, represented in the image by color. Laguerre-Gauss beams are modifications upon the standard Gaussian beam profile, are symmetric about the optical axis, and appear as a series of concentric rings. Work is ongoing in researching the effect changing the order modes has on the imaged beam, specifically with regard to energy deposited on the camera. This image was simulated and generated in MATLAB.

—Kyle M Novak, US Naval Research Lab