Formation of cylindrical vector beams of high order based on polarizing transformations in uniaxial crystals

Theoretical and experimental investigations of the formation of cylindrical vector beams in birefringent crystals are implemented in the paraxial and nonparaxial cases. Two foci corresponding to the ordinary and extraordinary beams are formed by tight focusing (in nonparaxial case) along the axis of the crystal. The presence of the first-order vortex phase in circularly polarized incident beam allows to form in the crystal two foci with radial and azimuthal polarization. These results are generalized to the case of formation of radially and azimuthally polarized laser beams of higher orders. Experiments are carried out with a crystal of Iceland spar.