Braided nodal lines in wave superpositions
Nodal lines (phase singularities, optical vortices) are the generic interference fringes of complex scalar waves. Here, an exact complex solution of the time-independent wave equation (Helmholtz equation) is considered, possessing nodal lines which are braided in the form of a borromean, or pigtail...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2003.
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| Online Access: | Get fulltext |
| Summary: | Nodal lines (phase singularities, optical vortices) are the generic interference fringes of complex scalar waves. Here, an exact complex solution of the time-independent wave equation (Helmholtz equation) is considered, possessing nodal lines which are braided in the form of a borromean, or pigtail braid. The braid field is a superposition of counterpropagating, counterrotating, non-coaxial third-order Bessel beams and a plane wave whose propagation is perpendicular to that of the beams. The construction is structurally stable, and can be generalized to a limited class of other braids. |
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