Photorefractive and computational holography in the experimental generation of Airy beams

In this paper, we present the experimental generation of Airy beams via computational and photorefractive holography. Experimental generation of Airy beams using conventional optical components presents several difficulties and a practically infeasible. Thus, the optical generation of Airy beams has been made from the optical reconstruction of a computer generated hologram implemented by a spatial light modulator. In the photorefractive holography technique, being used for the first time to our knowledge, the hologram of an Airy beam is constructed (recorded) and reconstructed (read) optically in a nonlinear photorefractive medium. The Airy beam experimental realization was made by a setup of computational and photorefractive holography using a photorefractive Bi12TiO20 crystal as holographic recording medium. Airy beams and Airy beam arrays were obtained experimentally in accordance with the predicted theory; with excellent prospects for applications in optical trapping and optical communications systems.