Propagation of two-dimensional Airy vortex beams in electromagnetically induced transparent rubidium atomic vapor

Abstract This study investigates the propagation properties of two-dimensional Airy vortex beams in an electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) medium, based on a four-level rubidium atomic vapor system controlled by dual coupling Rabi frequencies. By establishing the ABCD transmission matrix of the EIT medium and employing the Collins integral formula, analytical expression for the propagation of the Airy vortex beam in the EIT medium is derived. Using the obtained analytical solution, this study further examines the beam’s intensity distribution, phase evolution characteristics, and their dependencies on several key parameters such as transverse scale, truncation factor, and vortex center position. Results demonstrate that the intensity of the Airy vortex beam can be modulated by the coupling Rabi frequency: with the change of the coupling Rabi frequency, the Airy vortex beam will be focused, and the main lobe will form a quasi-focus, accompanied by the reproduction of phase singularities. Moreover, the transverse deflection of the beam will be reduced when the coupled Rabi frequency is increased. At the same time, the vortex position, truncation factor and transverse scale also affect the field intensity distribution of the beam. These research results could have potential application value in the fields of optical bullets and optical micromanipulation.