Patent ID: 8724219

Claim:
A process for producing annular far-field patterned beams, comprising: providing a plurality of optical beams; manipulating said plurality of optical beams; producing an even-numbered plurality of manipulated beams from said plurality of optical beams; providing each of said even-numbered plurality of manipulated beams a selected near field shape such that each of said even-numbered plurality of manipulated beams has the same near field geometry; providing each of said even-numbered plurality of manipulated beams a polarization that differs from the polarization of its adjacent of said even-numbered plurality of manipulated beams by an amount equal to 360 degrees divided by a total number of said even-numbered plurality of manipulated beams; providing each of said even-numbered plurality of manipulated beams with a selected wavelength such that each of said even-numbered plurality of manipulated beams has the same wavelength; providing each of said even-numbered plurality of manipulated beams with a selected phase such that each of said even-numbered plurality of manipulated beams is in phase with each other said even-numbered plurality of manipulated beams; providing a distribution of said even-numbered plurality of manipulated beams such that each of said even-numbered plurality of manipulated beams is uniformly distributed on the perimeter of a circle and the composite near field intensity distribution of said even-numbered plurality of manipulated beams has a central null; orienting each of said uniformly distributed even-numbered plurality of manipulated beams on the perimeter of said circle such that the circle passes through an identical portion of each of said even-numbered plurality of manipulated beams' intensity distribution; propagating said even-numbered plurality of manipulated beams having said near field distribution, said near field geometry, said wavelength, said polarization, said phase, said distribution and said orientation such that each of said even-numbered plurality of manipulated beams is propagated in parallel with each other of said even-numbered plurality of manipulated beams; and producing a composite beam comprising said even-numbered plurality of manipulated beams, wherein said composite beam has a composite far field intensity distribution having a central null and discrete cylindrical symmetry.