Near-field properties of diffraction through a circular subwavelength-size aperture

Analytical nonparaxial vectorial electric field expressions for both Gaussian beams and plane waves diffracted through a circular aperture are derived by using the vector plane angular spectrum method for the first time,which is suitable for the subwavelength aperture and the near-field region.The transverse properties of intensity distributions and their evolutions with the propagating distance,and the power transmission functions for diffracted fields containing the whole field,the evanescent field and the propagating field are investigated in detail,which is helpful for understanding the relationship between evanescent and propagating components in the near-field region and can be applied to apertured near-field scanning optical microscopy.     

Angular spectrum analysis of near-field diffraction of a small aperture

The near-field diffraction of a nanometer aperture is studied in this paper according to the angular spectrum theory. The mathematic expressions of the near-field diffraction are presented, and the influences of the polarization of the electromagnetic field and the evanescent wave on the diffraction in near field are analyzed by means of vector and scalar diffraction theory, respectively. The transverse and longitudinal diffraction intensity distributions of a small aperture are numerically calculated, and the results show the near-field diffraction of a small aperture is influenced strongly by the vector property of the electromagnetic field and the evanescent component.     

傍轴光束在单轴左手介质中传输的矢量性质

研究了沿光轴入射的傍轴光束在单轴左手介质中传输的矢量性质.通过平面角谱的方法得到了横电(TE)波和横磁(TM)波在单轴左手介质中传输的严格解，并得到了傍轴近似下的矢量传输模型.利用这一模型，分析得到垂直于光轴方向不同偏振态的入射光束在单轴左手介质中同时激发横向场和低阶纵向场.如果单轴左手介质的介电常数张量在沿垂直于光轴方向上的元素不相等，同时磁导率张量在沿垂直于光轴方向上的两元素也不相等(即z方向为光轴方向，_x≠_y,μ_x≠μ_y),那么入射光束激发的横向场的分布与入射光束的初始场分布和偏振态有关，而纵向场的分布与入射光束的偏振态无关，只决定于入射光束的初始场分布. 关键词： 傍轴传输 单轴左手介质 矢量效应     

傍轴光束在单轴晶体中传输的矢量性质

研究了垂直光轴入射的傍轴光束在单轴晶体中传输的矢量性质.通过角谱的方法得到了寻常光（o光）和非常光（e光）在晶体中传输的严格解，并得到了傍轴近似下的矢量传输模型.利用这一模型，分析得到了垂直光轴偏振的入射光束在晶体中只激发o光，而平行光轴偏振的入射光束在晶体中同时激发e光和二阶小量的o光. 关键词： 傍轴传输 单轴晶体 矢量效应     

Analytical vectorial structure of radially polarized light beams

Starting from the vector angular spectrum of the electromagnetic beam, the analytical vectorial structure of the radially polarized beams (RPBs) is presented. The energy flux distributions of the RPBs are demonstrated. The physical pictures of the RPBs are well illustrated from the vectorial structure. This particular electromagnetic field is entirely transverse magnetic, and on axis it only has a longitudinal (z) electric-field component (i.e., no transverse electric field and no magnetic field at all on axis).     

金属覆层光纤探针近场特性研究

采用有限积分法对用于近场光学显微镜的旋转对称光纤探针进行了数值模拟计算,研究了光纤探针开口附近亚波长范围的电磁场及其能量密度的分布.计算结果表明,在探针外,光场为沿探针轴线方向的近逝波,其空间光场的分布与激励光场及其极化方向有关,在激励光场的极化方向出现了由感应电荷引起的边缘增强效应.同时研究了近场光纤探针的空间分辨率和样品处的电磁场能量,结果表明光纤探针孔的尺寸及其与样品的作用距离是影响探针的分辨率和样品内电磁场能量的重要因素.     

Transverse and longitudinal components of the propagating and evanescent waves associated to radially polarized nonparaxial fields

A comparison is established between the contributions of transverse and longitudinal components of both the propagating and the evanescent waves associated to freely propagating radially polarized nonparaxial beams. Attention is focused on those fields that remain radially polarized upon propagation. In terms of the plane-wave angular spectrum of these fields, analytical expressions are given for determining both the spatial shape of the above components and their relative weight integrated over the whole transverse plane. The results are applied to two kinds of doughnut-like beams with radial polarization, and we compare the behavior of such fields at two transverse planes.     

The magnetic fields and rotation generators of free space electromagnetism

The relation is developed between rotation generators of the Lorentz group and the magnetic fields of free-space electromagnetism. Using these classical relations, it is shown that in the quantum field theory there exists a longitudinal photomagneton, a quantized magnetic flux density operator which is directly proportional to the photon spin angular momentum. Commutation relations are given in the quantum field between the longitudinal photomagneton and the usual transverse magnetic components of quantized electromagnetism. The longitudinal component is phase free, but the transverse components are phase dependent. All three components can magnetize material in general, but only the transverse components contribute to Planck's law. The photon therefore has three, not two, relativistically invariant degrees of polarization, an axial, longitudinal, polarization, and the usual right and left circular transverse polarizations. Since the longitudinal polarization is axial, it is a phase- free magnetic field.     

Near-field effect in two-atom system

The self-consistent problem is solved for the interaction of two dipole atoms situated at arbitrary distance from one another with the field of quasiresonant light wave. Atoms are considered to be linear Lorenz oscillators. Polarizing fields inside the system include both Coulomb and retarding parts. The solutions obtained are investigated for the case when atoms have the same polarizabilities and interatomic distance is much less than external light wavelength. Formulas for electric fields inside and outside of small object are obtained. It is shown that longitudinal and transverse optical oscillations are possible to exist inside small two-atom object. Dispersion laws of these oscillations depend upon interatomic distance and upon angle between axis of the system and the direction of propagation of external wave. The field outside the small object in wave zone is linearly polarized with the choice of linear polarization of external field. However, the directions of polarization of these waves are different and depend essentially upon frequency. The amplitude of field outside small object in wave zone is shown to depend essentially on the frequency of external field and interatomic distance. The results obtained are treated as near-field effect in the optics of small objects making it possible to investigate the structure of small objects with optical radiation. Received 26 October 1998 and Received in final form 26 January 2000     

Near-field amplitude and phase measurements using heterodyne optical feedback on solid-state lasers

Heterodyne optical feedback on a solid-state laser is experimentally investigated as an efficient tool to characterize coherently near-field evanescent waves. A well-known topography of evanescent field is obtained via a total internal reflection of the light beam emitted by a class B Yb:Er glass laser. A subwavelength size optical fiber tip is scanned to locally probe the resulting evanescent wave in the near field. After a frequency shifting using a pair of acousto-optic modulators, the collected light is optically reinjected to excite the relaxation oscillations of the laser. The resulting dynamical response simultaneously allows very sensitive measurements of the amplitude and the phase of the evanescent wave. Extension of these preliminary results to near-field optical microscopy is suggested and discussed.     

Degree of polarization in near fields of thermal sources: effects of surface waves

We introduce the concept of degree of polarization for electromagnetic near fields. The approach is based on the generalized Stokes parameters that appear as expansion coefficients of the 3 x 3 coherence matrix in terms of the Gell-Mann matrices. The formalism is applied to optical near fields of thermally fluctuating half-space sources with particular interest in fields that are strongly polarized owing to resonant surface plasmons or phonons. This novel method is particularly useful when assessing the full vectorial characteristics of random evanescent fields, e.g., for near-field spectroscopy and polarization microscopy.     

局域椭圆偏振光束强聚焦性质的研究

数值计算了局域椭圆偏振光束强聚焦时在焦平面上的横向场强分布、纵向场强分布、横向能流以及纵向角动量分布.结果显示在焦平面上光束总的纵向角动量为零,但在不同象限光束具有不同方向的纵向角动量.当相位延迟角度在0到π之间变化时横向场强分布基本不变,但纵向场强分布有很明显的变化.液晶相位延迟器由外部电压控制,使其相位延迟角度能在0到π之间可以连续取值.因而液晶相位延迟器的外接电压可以实现对焦平面上的纵向场强以及纵向角动量的实时调控.     

Experimental research on the longitudinal field generated by a tightly focused beam

The longitudinal optical field is a peculiar physical phenomenon that is always involved with the domain of near-field optics. Due to its extraordinary properties, it has recently attracted increasing attention in research and application. In this work, the longitudinal fields generated by the evanescent illumination of tightly focused, different polarized hollow beams are investigated. The focused light fields are numerically simulated according to vector diffraction theory, and their vector analysis is also carried out. The longitudinal fields on the focal plane are demonstrated experimentally using tip-enhanced scanning near-field microscopy. The simulation and experimental results show that the tightly focused radially polarized beam is suited to generating a stronger and purer longitudinal optical field at the focus.     

A Simulation of Near Field Optics by Three Dimensional Volume Integral Equation of Classical Electromagnetic Theory

A numerical simulation code for three dimensional problems of near-field optics has been developed using the volume integral equation with the moment method. The object is assumed to be continuous and macroscopic dielectric and can be treated by macroscopic Maxwell#x0027;s equations. The code can treat the large-scale moment method matrix that is obtained by the discretization of the volume integral equation. The resultant matrix equation is solved by an iteration method called the generalized minimum residual method with reasonable computational cost for simple problems of near field optics. Simulation of a simplified model of a scanning near-field optical microscope has been performed and basic polarization characteristics of the system have been investigated in detail. The code is also applied to the collection-mode of a photon scanning tunneling microscope, where the incident wave is the evanescent wave, and basic relation between near-field and far field i.e., output image, is recognized.     

Two-photon fluorescence scanning near-field microscopy based on a focused evanescent field under total internal reflection

We present two-photon fluorescence near-field microscopy based on an evanescent field focus produced by a ring beam under total internal reflection. The evanescent field produced by this method is focused by a high-numerical-aperture objective, producing a tightly confined volume that can effectively induce two-photon excitation. The imaging system is characterized by the two-photon-excited images of the nanocrystals, which show that the focused evanescent field is split into two lobes because of the enhancement of the longitudinal polarization component at the focus. This feature is confirmed by the theoretical prediction. Unlike other two-photon near-field probes, this method does not have the heating effect and requires no control mechanism of the distance between a sample and the probe.     

Near-field effect in optics of small objects composed of dipole atoms

A self-consistent problem of interaction of two dipole atoms separated by an unrestricted distance with the field of a quasi-resonance light wave was solved on the assumption that the investigated atoms are Lorentz linear oscillators and the polarizing fields inside the system consist of the Coulomb and the retarded parts. The solution obtained was investigated for the case where the atoms have the same polarizability and the distance between them is much smaller than the length of the external light wave. Formulas for the electric fields inside a small object and outside it have been obtained. It is shown that inside a small two-atom object there can take place longitudinal and transverse optical vibrations accompanied by corresponding dispersion effects depending on the interatomic distance and the angle between the axis of the system and the direction of propagation of the external light wave. The field outside the small object in the wave zone is linearly polarized when the external wave has linear polarization. However, the direction of polarization of the corresponding waves is largely determined by their frequency. It is also shown that the amplitude of the field outside the small object in the wave zone depends greatly on the frequency of the external field and the interatomic distance. The effects observed are considered as a near-field effect in optics of small objects. This phenomena makes it possible to investigate the structure of small objects with the use of optical radiation. Ul'yanovsk Branch of the Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 48 Goncharov Str., Ul'yanovsk, 432700, Russia; e-mail: gadomsky@quant.univ.simbirsk.su. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 66, No. 6, pp. 765–770, November–December, 1999.     

基于迈克耳孙干涉仪的近场光学实验

介绍了一种以迈克耳孙干涉仪作为操作平台的近场光学实验系统.该系统可以测量棱镜内表面全内反射产生的隐失场,观察两维光栅样品的近场光学结构,还可以用于光子扫描隧穿显微镜(PSTM)的原理性实验,有助于学生深入了解隐失场的结构和近场光学显微镜的基本工作原理.该装置具有结构简单可靠,操作简便等特点,十分适用于物理实验教学.     

Linear detection of phase-modulated optical signals with ac-biased cubic photorefractive crystals: Influence of coupling effects

We apply the theory of vectorial wave coupling in cubic photorefractive crystals subjected to ac-field to describe the transformation of a momentary phase changes of one of the input beams into the output intensity modulation (the so-called grating translation technique). In contrast to the previous studies, we take into account the change of the space-charge field amplitude across the crystal owing to the coupling effects. The theory developed is employed to optimize the conditions for the linear signal detection under polarization filtering for the transverse and longitudinal optical configurations. We also analyze the possibility of the linear detection without polarization filtering. PACS 42.70.Nq; 42.62.Cf; 42.87.Bg     

近场光学虚拟光探针的数值分析

虚拟光探针是基于近场光学隐失场干涉原理产生的一种非实体探针，可以应用于近场光学超高密度存储、纳米光刻、近场光学成像、光谱探测、纳米样品的近场光学操作等领域。本研究采用三维时间域有限差分（FDTD）方法对近场光学虚拟光探针的光场分布特性进行了数值模拟计算和比较，分析了孔的形状、大小及偏振态等因素对虚拟光探针光场分布的影响，研究结果表明虚拟光探针的通光效率较普通的纳米孔径光纤探针提高10^2-10^4倍；其光场分布的中间峰的半峰全宽（即虚拟光探针的尺寸）在一定距离范围内基本保持不变，从而可以解决近场光学系统中纳米间距控制的难题，避免光学头与介质的磁撞。优化虚拟光探针的设计参量能有效的抑制虚拟光探针中的旁瓣。文章还给出了应用虚拟探针实现高密度光存储的原理方案。     

Behavior of propagating and evanescent components in azimuthally polarized non-paraxial fields

The contribution of the propagating and the evanescent waves associated with freely propagating non-paraxial light fields whose transverse component is azimuthally polarized at some plane is investigated. Analytic expressions are derived for describing both the spatial shape and the relative weight of the propagating and the evanescent components integrated over the transverse plane. The analysis is carried out within the framework of the plane-wave angular spectrum approach. These results are used to illustrate the behavior of a kind of donut-like beams with transverse azimuthal polarization at some plane.