Scintillation properties of dark hollow beams in a weak turbulent atmosphere

The on-axis scintillation index for a circular dark hollow beam (DHB) propagating in a weak turbulent atmosphere is formulated, and the scintillation properties of a DHB are investigated in detail. The scintillation index for a DHB reduces to the scintillation index for a Gaussian beam, an annular beam and a flat-topped beam under certain conditions. It is found that the scintillation index of a DHB is closely related to the beam parameters and can be lower than that of a Gaussian beam, an annular beam and a flat-topped beam in a weak turbulent atmosphere at smaller waist sizes and longer propagation lengths