Surface plasmon polariton-based optical beam profiler

We describe a surface plasmon polariton- (SPP-) based device for measuring the intensity distribution of strongly focused light beams. A gold thin film configured as a sharp step is positioned in the focal region of a light beam, converting light into SPPs. The SPPs emit directional leakage radiation into the glass substrate beneath the thin film. The intensity of the leakage radiation is proportional to the intensity of the incident local light at the position of the step, allowing us to reconstruct the optical field profile by scanning the thin film's edge through the focal region.