Space-variant polarized Airy beam

Abstract: We experimentally generate an Airy beam with polarization structure while keeping its original amplitude and phase profile intact. This class of Airy beam preserves the acceleration properties. By monitoring their initial polarization structure we have provided insight concerning the self-healing mechanism of Airy beams. We investigate both theoretically and experimentally the self-healing polarization properties of the space-variant polarized Airy beams. Amplitude as well as the polarization structure tends to reform during propagation in spite of the severe truncation of the beam by finite apertures.