Measuring the complete transverse spatial mode spectrum of a wave field.
We put forward a method that allows the experimental determination of the entire spatial mode spectrum of any arbitrary monochromatic wave field in a plane normal to its propagation direction. For coherent optical fields, our spatial spectrum analyzer can be implemented with a small number of benchmark refractive elements embedded in a single Mach-Zehnder interferometer. We detail an efficient setup for measuring in the Hermite-Gaussian mode basis. Our scheme should also be feasible in the context of atom optics for analyzing the spatial profiles of macroscopic matter waves.
Grup de Física Teòrica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona), Spain.
Gabriel F
GF
Calvo
Antonio
A
Picón
Roberta
R
Zambrini
D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D008962:Models, Theoretical