Superior self-healing properties of generic Poincaré beam

Abstract The self-healing of beams subjected to obstructions has been at the center of discussion in recent times. Singular beams are shown to be resilient to obstructions. The self-healing property of vortex beams is linked to their helical Poynting vector. However, the healing ability of scalar vortices and V -point beams is limited when they face an obstruction placed non-symmetrically to the beam’s axis. In this study, we report for the first time that generic Poincaré beams (PBs) can self-reconstruct after encountering symmetric and non-symmetric obstructions. We attribute this superior healing property to the net non-zero orbital angular momentum of PBs that induces an overall transverse energy flow within the beam. The orthogonal polarization components of a generic PB regain their relative phase and intensity, enabling them to restore their polarization, intensity, and Stokes phase structure. Both theoretical and experimental evidence support our findings.