Hermite-Gauss beams in uniaxially anisotropic crystals

Propagation of Hermite-Gauss beams of any order along the optical axis of a uniaxially anisotropic crystal is investigated. Starting from a general approach for solving boundary value problems in anisotropic materials, closed-form expressions of the electromagnetic field are given for this fundamental class of beams. Any optical beam in an anisotropic crystal is the superposition of ordinary and extraordinary parts, propagating independently. By analyzing the expressions of the fields originated by an input Gaussian beam, the effects of the anisotropy on the diffraction properties of the ordinary and extraordinary beams have been elucidated.