Generalized non-diffracting beams for ultrafast materials processing

We generalize the well-known method of generating nondiffracting beams based on axicons in the near-field using phase modulations with azimuthal dependencies. The enormous benefit of our concept for efficient shaping of nondiffracting beams with arbitrary transverse profiles is shown and optimized processes like cleaving of particularly thin and thick glasses using elliptical Bessel-like beams are discussed.