Phase and polarization selection facilitated by the self-healing properties of Airy beams

Airy beams, known for their self-healing properties, present significant challenges in selecting and modulating phase and polarization singularities inherent to the beam itself. Through theoretical and experimental analyses, this paper compares the self-healing behaviors of phase vortex Airy beams (VoABs) and polarization vector vortex Airy beams (VVABs) from fracture to reconstruction during free space propagation. Experimental results demonstrate that while the degree of main lobe fracture is similar for both beams at the same order, they have different self-healing processes, enabling selective modulation of both phase and polarization attributes during self-healing. The self-healing phenomenon of VVABs was revealed via the transverse Poynting vector, which demonstrated that lateral energy converges toward the direction of the main lobe’s rupture, with the cessation of energy flow convergence marking the completion of the self-healing process. Furthermore, the polarization-selective properties of VVABs were observed, revealing significant differences between 1- and 2-order VVABs, which enabled polarization selection for both the main lobe and sidelobe energy. Experimental results align closely with numerical simulations. This study will provide new, to the best of our knowledge, insights and methodological guidance for the self-healing modulation of Airy vortex beams, with potential applications in fields such as optical communications, optical tweezers, microscopy, and particle manipulation.