Quadrefringence of optical vortices in a uniaxial crystal

TL;DR

This paper investigates how a single optical vortex splits into four in a uniaxial crystal, both theoretically and experimentally, revealing conditions for independent vortex propagation without dislocation reactions.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed theoretical and experimental analysis of quadruple vortex splitting and the conditions for independent vortex propagation in uniaxial crystals.

Findings

Optical vortex splits into four in a uniaxial crystal.

Conditions identified for independent vortex propagation.

Experimental verification of theoretical predictions.

Abstract

The splitting of a single optical vortex into four separate ones in a singular beam is theoretically and experimentally described for the propagation of light obliquely through a uniaxial crystal. Also we found the condition under which the new-born vortices in each four individual beams propagate independently without dislocation reactions and have different locations in all beams for any crystal lengths.