OFF-AXIS COMPLEX-ARGUMENT POLYNOMIAL-GAUSSIAN BEAMS IN OPTICAL-SYSTEMS

Off-axis light-beam propagation in optical systems representable by complex ABCD matrices is considered in detail. The results are presented in terms of modal parameter transformations similar to Kogelnik's ABCD law. The modes emphasized here can be expressed in terms of polynomial-Gaussian functions of complex argument. These modes may be both astigmatic and asymmetric and can describe the propagation of off-axis beams of light in lenslike media with spatial gain or loss variation.