LAUSR

Abstract We explore the morphological properties of symmetric Airy beams in the paraxial and nonparaxial regimes. We consider a 2D electromagnetic realization with a single transverse component of the electric field, and in the nonparaxial regime, the longitudinal component along the optic axis. The general structure of these beams is analyzed with the combination of several approaches: geometrical optics through the use of caustics, the asymptotic wave properties of the light field using the stationary wave approximation and numerical integration. The geometrical optics approach involves locating the critical points that are later used in the stationary phase approximation. In the paraxial regime the highest order of the roots is 3, while in the nonparaxial regime, the order can be of up to 6. The technique yields conditions to identify interesting features on the beam, like the number of waves interfering constructively/destructively at the critical positions. The results are confirmed by the numerical simulations. In this way it is possible to distinguish and classify phase singularities like optical vortices and dislocations. The developed algorithm could be used to study any structured light field.