Experimental generation of arbitrary abruptly autofusing Circular Airy Gaussian vortex vector beams.

Complex vector modes represent a general state of light nonseparable in their spatial and polarization degrees of freedom, which have inspired a wide variety of novel applications and phenomena, such as their unexpected propagation behaviour. For example, they can propagate describing periodic polarization transitions, changing from one vector beam to another. Here, we put forward a novel class of vector modes with the capability to experience an abruptly autofocusing behaviour. To achieve such beams, we encode the spatial degree of freedom in the Circular Airy Gaussian vortex (CAGV) beams. We demonstrate the experimental generation of arbitrary CAGV vector beams and evince some of their properties, such as a rotation of intermodal phase. We anticipate that the fascinating properties of theses modes will prompt the development of novel applications associated to their autofocusing behaviour and polarization distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]