Patent Number: 048878855
Section: claims

1. A system for generating a well defined traveling wave radiation beam not subject to beam spreading in the sense that the intensity pattern of the traveling wave radiation beam in a transverse plane is substantially unaltered by propagation over a range which is substantially larger than the Rayleigh range of a Gaussian beam with equal central spot width, said system generating a traveling wave radiation beam the amplitude of which has its transverse dependence substantially identical to J.sub.m (.alpha..rho.), the m.sup.th order Bessel function of the first kind, wherein .alpha. is a geometrical constant and .rho. designates the transverse radial coordinate of the wave, and further wherein the Bessel function argument is independent of the distance z of the propagation, which results in a well defined traveling wave beam not subject to beam spreading, said generating means comprising a pumped resonant cavity for the amplification of radiation for establishing a state of resonant amplification and emission of radiation therein, and a radiation element forming a part of the resonant cavity for directly forming an output radiation beam the amplitude of which has its transverse dependence substantially identical to said J.sub.m (.alpha..rho.), the m.sup.th order Bessel function of the first kind from said resonant cavity, which results in the generation of the well-defined traveling wave radiation beam. 2. A system for generating a well defined traveling wave radiation beam as claimed in claim 1, said pumped resonant cavity comprising a laser cavity, which results in the generation of a well defined light beam. 3. A system for generating a well defined traveling wave radiation beam as claimed in claim 1, said pumping resonant cavity comprising a microwave cavity, which results in the generation of a well defined microwave beam. 4. A system for generating a well defined traveling wave radiation beam as claimed in claim 1, said radiation element comprising a circular annular reflector positioned at one end of said resonant cavity, and a focusing system having said circular annular reflector positioned in the focal plane of the focusing system, which results in the focusing system producing the well defined traveling wave radiation beam because the far field amplitude of an object is the Fourier transform thereof, and the Fourier transform of a circular function is the zero order Bessel function of the first kind. 5. A system for generating a well defined traveling wave radiation beam as claimed in claim 4, said focusing system being integrally formed with a partially reflecting surface which forms the opposite end of the resonant cavity from said circular annular reflector, and which focuses radiation transmitted by the partially reflecting surface to form the zero order Bessel function of the first kind output radiation beam. 6. A system for generating a well defined traveling wave radiation beam as claimed in claim 4, said focusing system comprising a focusing element positioned in the resonant cavity, and a partially reflecting surface forming the opposite end of the resonant cavity from said circular annular reflector, to allow transmission therethrough of radiation to form the zero order Bessel function of the first kind output radiation beam. 7. A system for generating a well defined traveling wave radiation beam as claimed in claim 4, said focusing system comprising a focusing element positioned outside the resonant cavity, and a partially reflecting surface forming the opposite end of the resonant cavity from said circular annular reflector, to allow transmission therethrough to said focusing element for formation of the zero order Bessel function of the first kind output radiation beam. 8. A system for generating a well defined traveling wave radiation beam as claimed in claim 4, wherein the mean diameter of the circular annular reflector is d, the width of the circular annular reflector is .alpha.d, the radius of the output aperture formed by the radius of the focusing lens system is R, the focal length thereof is f, and the radiation has a wavelength .lambda., and wherein the J.sub.o beam produced in this manner has a spot parameter .alpha.=(2.pi./.lambda.) sin .theta., where .theta.=tan.sup.-1 (d/2f), wherein the modulation of the amplitude by the diffraction envelope of the annular reflector is negligible within the finite output aperture R by maintaining the width of the annular reflector .alpha.d&lt;f/R. 9. A system for generating a well defined traveling wave radiation beam as claimed in claim 1, wherein said generating means comprises a circular annular source of the radiation beam positioned in the focal plane of a focusing means, which results in the generation of the well defined radiation beam by the focusing means because the far field amplitude of an object is the Fourier transform thereof, and the Fourier transform of a circular line function is the zero order Bessel function of the first kind. 10. A system for generating a well defined traveling wave radiation beam as claimed in claim 1, wherein said radiation beam is generated with a transverse dependence of the zero order Bessel function of the first kind. 11. A system for generating a well defined traveling wave beam as defined in claim 1, wherein said generating means includes a focusing means located outside of the said resonant cavity. 12. A system for generating a well defined traveling wave radiation beam as claimed in claim 1, said resonant cavity having first and second reflective surfaces at opposite ends of the resonant cavity. 13. A system for generating a well defined traveling wave radiation beam as claimed in claim 12, said radiation element comprising one of the end reflective surfaces of the resonant cavity which has a circular annular aperture therein, and a focusing system having said circular annular aperture positioned in the focal plane of the focusing system, which results in the focusing system producing the well defined traveling wave radiation beam because the far field amplitude of an object is the Fourier transform thereof, and the Fourier transform of a circular function is the zero order Bessel function of the first kind. 14. A system for generating a well defined traveling wave radiation beam as claimed in claim 13, said circular annular aperture in one of the end reflective surfaces of the resonant cavity having a width d which is relatively narrow to sustain a Gaussian mode of operation in the cavity, and being of the order of one wavelength .lambda.. 15. A system for generating a well defined traveling wave beam as defined in claim 12, wherein said generating means includes a focusing means located within said resonant cavity. 16. A system for generating a well defined traveling wave beam as defined in claim 15, wherein said second reflective surface comprises said focusing means.