Transmission enhancement by conversion of evanescent waves into propagating waves

The convolution between spatial modes of two different parts of an optical system can convert evanescent waves into propagating waves. This principle is applied to different optical systems for analyzing various effects in transmission enhancements experiments. We discuss here the differences between the present principle which is related to broadening of resonances and the near-field optical microscopy based on a tunneling effect by a tip detector. The present analysis is applied in particular to two systems: a) transmission enhancement in one slit by coupling the transmitted radiation with transversal Fabry–Pérot electromagnetic (EM) modes, and b) transmission enhancement by coupling between a metallic film with arrays of holes and surface plasmons (SP). The present approach gives more information on transmission enhancement phenomena than that obtained by conventional treatments and can also solve certain disagreements between different theories. The differences between the present process of converting evanescent waves into propagating waves, and that related to the new development of getting a super-resolution by an hyperlens are discussed. PACS 41.20.Jb; 73.20.Mf; 42.79.Dj     

Left-handed metamaterial based superlens for subwavelength imaging of electromagnetic waves

Lenses made of negative index materials have the ability to focus the propagating and evanescent components of electromagnetic waves. Such a possibility enables super resolution, in turn resulting in sharper, subwavelength size images. In this present work, we present subwavelength imaging that was obtained from a one-dimensional left-handed metamaterial (LHM) composed of alternating layers of split-ring resonators and thin wires. We investigated the effect of the thickness of LHM lenses on image size. The left-handed pass band within the negative permittivity and permeability region is shown experimentally and theoretically for different thicknesses of LHM slabs. We also studied the transmission-phase of LHMs with a different number of unit cells along the propagation direction. The phase decreases with the increasing thicknesses of LHM slabs, proving that the phase velocity is negative in the left-handed transmission band. PACS 42.25.-p; 41.20.Jb; 81.05.-t     

Generation of sub-half-wavelength micro-optical traps by dichroic evanescent standing waves

The bi-dimensional optical lattices formed by several sets of laser evanescent standing waves propagating at the surface of a dielectric prism are investigated. The characteristics of the optical traps including their depths and the sizes are analysed. It is shown that the micro-optical lattice with a sub-half-wavelength size can be achieved by the interference of the selected evanescent waves. The scheme together with the recently developed atomic chip may be used for atomic quantum manipulation.     

The role of propagating and evanescent waves in scanning near-field optical microscopy

Theoretical study on the image formation in scanning near-field optical microscopy is carried out in the framework of the direct moment method. Information brought, respectively, by the propagating and evanescent components in the optical near field that is collected by a scanning fiber tip with a sub-wavelength aperture is numerically and systematically analyzed in the light of the resolution achieved by the microscope. The analyses reveal that resolutions beyond the diffraction limit can be achieved even in the absence of the evanescent waves. That is, it is incorrect or at least incomplete to believe that a microscope that collects only the propagating waves is limited by the diffraction. Our studies show that a scanning near-field optical microscope can achieve resolutions beyond the diffraction limit by collecting only the propagating waves.     

Visual characteristics of inhomogeneous acoustic waves

Experimentally obtained visualizations of propagating inhomogeneous acoustic waves driven by zero-order antisymmetric Lamb waves (flexural waves) in water are presented. The inhomogeneous waves are visualized by optical holographic interferometry. A series of photographs show the evolution in time of instantaneous acoustic pressure distributions associated with propagating inhomogeneous waves. The photographs reveal characteristic features of flexurally driven inhomogeneous waves such as transversely attenuated wavefronts oriented perpendicularly to the plate boundary and a phase propagation velocity along the boundary approximately equal to the plate wave velocity (250 meters/second). Effects due to the dispersive nature of the flexural plate waves are also noted in the photographic series. Features distinguishing these subsonic, inhomogeneous surface waves (also called trapped or evanescent waves) from the leaky, lateral or head wave and also from incompressible fluid motions associated with low frequency vibrations of fluid loaded plates are identified. The relevance of inhomogeneous acoustic waves driven by subsonic flexural waves to practical sound-structure interaction problems is discussed.     

Harmonic Green's functions for flexural waves in semi-infinite plates with arbitrary boundary conditions and high-frequency approximation for convex polygonal plates

This paper provides a method for obtaining the harmonic Green's function for flexural waves in semi-infinite plates with arbitrary boundary conditions and a high frequency approximation of the Green's function in the case of convex polygonal plates, by using a generalised image source method. The classical image source method consists in describing the response of a point-driven polygonal plate as a superposition of contributions from the original source and virtual sources located outside of the plate, which represent successive reflections on the boundaries. The proposed approach extends the image source method to plates including boundaries that induce coupling between propagating and evanescent components of the field and on which reflection depends on the angle of incidence. This is achieved by writing the original source as a Fourier transform representing a continuous sum of propagating and evanescent plane waves incident on the boundaries. Thus, the image source contributions arise as continuous sums of reflected plane waves. For semi-infinite plates, the exact Green's function is obtained for an arbitrary set of boundary conditions. For polygonal plates, a high-frequency approximation of the Green's function is obtained by neglecting evanescent waves for the second and subsequent reflections on the edges. The method is compared to exact and finite element solutions and evaluated in terms of its frequency range of applicability.     

Resolution of objects within subwavelength range by using the near field of a dipole

We analyze the far-field resolution of apertures that are illuminated by a point dipole located at subwavelength distances. It is well known that radiation emitted by a localized source can be considered a combination of traveling and evanescent waves, when represented by the angular spectrum method. The evanescent wave part of the source can be converted to propagating waves by diffraction at the aperture; thereby it contributes to the far-field detection. Therefore one can expect an increase in the resolution of objects. We present explicit calculations showing that the resolution at the far zone is improved by decreasing the source-aperture distance. We also utilize the resolution enhancement by the near field of a dipole to resolve two closely located apertures. The results show that without the near field (evanescent field) the apertures are not resolved, whereas with the near field of the dipole the far zone intensity distribution shows improved resolution. This method eliminates the requirements of near-field techniques such as controlling and scanning closely located tip detectors.     

Normal waves in elastic bars of rectangular cross section

This paper addresses a theoretical study of guided normal waves in elastic isotropic bars of rectangular cross-section by an analytical superposition method. Dispersion properties of propagating and evanescent modes for four families are analyzed in detail at various geometric and physical parameters of the bar. A comparison of the obtained results with the well-known properties for waves in infinite plates and circular cylinders is provided. The complicated structure of dispersion spectra is explained. High-frequency limiting values for phase and group velocities of normal waves are established for the first time. Calculated data agree well with the available experimental results.     

源嵌入正折射率传输线介质板内的倏逝波和成像特性

 提出了点源嵌入正折射率介质板进行亚波长成像的新方法,分析了位于负折射率媒质里的正折射率介质板内外的电压倏逝波和电压传播波分布。正和负折射率媒质分别由2维未加载传输线和2维加载电感、电容传输线网络组成。微波电路和数值仿真结果都显示由于板内增大的倏逝场,在正折射率介质板的两个界面附近出现了很大的电压幅度,该结果证实了该正折射率介质板透镜能够恢复电压倏逝波,从而提高像的分辨率。     

The wave bivector formalism associated with circumferential leaky waves

It is shown that the circumferential internal waves propagating around an elastic cylinder can be locally seen as plane evanescent waves, at any observation point inside the surrounding fluid. This is done by direct calculation of the associated complex bivector. The exact anatomy of the wave is detailed and the phase propagation paths are found to be curved, as expected. The transition to the plane interface is achieved. Polarization ellipses associated with the acoustic displacement vector are described. The additional low evanescence assumption leads to conventional ray interpretation with identification of the ray tube divergence coefficients, and the wavefront is found to be the involute of a circle.     

Evanescent waves of an annular left-handed material lens

The imaging system formed by an annular left-handed material （LHM） lens as well as the evanescent waves in the lens are simulated numerically with a finite-difference time-domain （FDTD） method. For b - a 〉 λ （a and b are respectively the inner and outer radii of the annular lens, and λ is the wavelength）, when a point source is placed at an internal grid point, we demonstrate that the evanescent waves are produced around the internal interface, and cannot propagate outwards. As for b - a 〈λ ）,, the evanescent waves appear around both the internal and the external interfaces, which remarkably implies the coupling between the two interfaces. Hence it can be inferred that the evanescent waves around the external interface participating in the super-resolution imaging result from the coupling of the evanescent waves around the interface. Moreover, the partly uncomprehended properties of the evanescent waves in the LHM slab are also disclosed. It is conducive to understanding the evanescent waves in the LHMs further.     

Near-field observation of plasmon excitation and propagation on ordered elliptical hole arrays

We report a near-field study of the excitation and propagation of surface plasmon on ordered Ag elliptical hole arrays with a scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscope. Strong dipole-like local plasmon is identified at each individual hole from near-field optical intensity and phase images. The excitation of the local plasmon at the elliptical hole is found to follow polarization excitation constraint. The coherent superposition of these local plasmon waves to form an extended surface plasmon wave propagating to an adjacent hole array is observed directly. The near-field results are consistent with the results obtained from far-field extraordinary transmission measurements. PACS 42.25.Bs; 42.25.Hz; 42.25.Ja; 42.25.Kb; 07.79.Fc     

Plasmon mechanism of light transmission through a metal film or a plasma layer

It is shown that a smooth metal film (or a plasma layer) can be made transparent for an electromagnetic wave when two identical subwavelength diffraction gratings are placed on both sides of the film. The electromagnetic wave transmission through the metal film is caused by excitation of evanescent surface waves (plasmons) and their transformation into propagating waves at the gratings. A model which is developed analytically shows that the problem of the wave transmission is physically equivalent to the problem of excitation of two coupled resonators of evanescent waves which are formed at the two film surfaces.     

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.     

Fast compressional wave attenuation and dispersion due to conversion scattering into slow shear waves in randomly heterogeneous porous media

Within the viscosity-extended Biot framework of wave propagation in porous media, the existence of a slow shear wave mode with non-vanishing velocity is predicted. It is a highly diffusive shear mode wherein the two constituent phases essentially undergo out-of-phase shear motions (slow shear wave). In order to elucidate the interaction of this wave mode with propagating wave fields in an inhomogeneous medium the process of conversion scattering from fast compressional waves into slow shear waves is analyzed using the method of statistical smoothing in randomly heterogeneous poroelastic media. The result is a complex wave number of a coherent plane compressional wave propagating in a dynamic-equivalent homogeneous medium. Analysis of the results shows that the conversion scattering process draws energy from the propagating wave and therefore leads to attenuation and phase velocity dispersion. Attenuation and dispersion characteristics are typical for a relaxation process, in this case shear stress relaxation. The mechanism of conversion scattering into the slow shear wave is associated with the development of viscous boundary layers in the transition from the viscosity-dominated to inertial regime in a macroscopically homogeneous poroelastic solid.     

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.     

Nonlinear asymmetric waves induced in a symmetrical three-layer structure by the generation of excitons and biexcitons in semiconductors

A theory of asymmetric TE-polarized quasi-surface waves propagating inside a symmetrical planar three-layer structure with a linear core and nonlinear plates is developed. The nonlinearity of the plates is associated with the inclusion of the optical exciton-biexciton conversion. The dispersion laws of the propagating waves are derived and investigated.     

Focusing of evanescent vector waves

We study focusing of two and three-dimensional evanescent vector waves, with a particular emphasis on identifying suitable intensity structures for applications in optical data storage. For two-dimensional evanescent waves large transverse spatial wave vectors result in purely circularly polarized evanescent states. We suggest that these may have applications in all-optical data storage through the inverse Faraday effect. On the other hand, for three-dimensional evanescent waves longitudinally polarized modes are observed to give the most tightly focused spot, and this may be utilized to confine light behind a solid immersion lens.     

Left-handed materials do not make a perfect lens

By means of an analysis on evanescent waves in left-handed materials (LHM), we show that within a slab of such a medium, sandwiched between two positive refraction media, there is amplification of evanescent waves in ideal lossless, dispersiveless media; however, contrary to previous claims, this is limited to a finite width of the slab so that it prevents their restoration and perfect focusing. We illustrate this by considering their coupling to propagating waves through a tunnel barrier containing a slab of LHM. Further, we show that the effect of absorption, necessarily present in such materials, may drastically change any evanescent amplifying wave into a decaying one.