Optical aberrations are usually considered a drawback in optical systems. Here we show that through them a net cubic phase modulation can be imprinted on the wave front of a light beam, which after spatial Fourier transformation creates Airy beams. Experiments and supporting simulations demonstrate that appropriately adjusted cylindrical lenses can produce both one- and two-dimensional tunable Airy beams. The use of simple optical elements makes the approach attractive and convenient for generating intense femtosecond Airy beams and filaments. Moreover, we show that the Airy tunability is an excellent means of obtaining tailored filaments in both size and intensity. 2010 The American Physical Society.
