Subdiffraction light focusing on a grating substrate

We describe a way to generate subdiffraction light spots that can be moved over a surface without resorting to near-field manipulation, nonlinear effects, or negative index materials. We use a periodically patterned substrate that converted efficiently, through scattering, the impinging propagative waves into evanescent ones. Then we optimize the wave front of the incident propagative beam so that the grating-scattered evanescent waves interfere constructively at the focal point. Numerical simulations show that focus spots as small as one-sixth of a wavelength can be obtained at any point on the substrate. One foreseen application is high resolution surface imaging.     

Finite-size effects of a left-handed material slab on the image quality

The characteristics of an imaging system formed by a left-handed material (LHM) slab of finite length are studied, and the influence of the finite length of the slab on the image quality is analyzed. Unusual phenomena such as surface bright spots and negative energy stream at the image side are observed and explained as the cavity effects of surface plasmons excited by the evanescent components of the incident field. For a thin LHM slab, the cavity effects are found rather sensitive to the length of the slab; the bright spots on the bottom surface of the slab may stretch to the image plane and degrade the image quality.     

Evanescent Bessel beam generation through filtering highly focused cylindrical vector beams with a defect mode one-dimensional photonic crystal

We propose a simple setup for generating evanescent Bessel beams using the defect mode of one-dimensional (1D) photonic crystal. The angular selectivity provided by the defect mode mimics the role of an axicon for Bessel beam generation. When an azimuthally polarized beam is strongly focused onto a 1D defect mode photonic crystal interface, an evanescent Bessel beam of the first-order is produced, while an evanescent Bessel beam of the zeroth-order will be created under a radially polarized beam illumination. Switching between a donut shape and a solid focal distribution can be easily realized by controlling the polarization of the illumination. Such a versatile evanescent Bessel beam generation may find potential applications in optical trapping.     

Evanescent Bessel beam generation via surface plasmon resonance excitation by a radially polarized beam

A simple setup for generating evanescent Bessel beams is proposed. When a radially polarized beam is strongly focused onto a dielectric-metal interface, the entire beam is p-polarized with respect to the dielectric-metal interface, enabling excitation of surface plasmons from all directions. The angular selectivity of surface plasmon excitation mimics the function of an axicon, leading to an evanescent nondiffracting Bessel beam. The created evanescent Bessel beam may be used as a virtual probe for near-field optical imaging and sensing applications.     

Near-field characteristics of highly non-paraxial subwavelength optical fields with hybrid states of polarization

The vectorial structure of an optical field with hybrid states of polarization(So P) in the near-field is studied by using the angular spectrum method of an electromagnetic beam. Physical images of the longitudinal components of evanescent waves are illustrated and compared with those of the transverse components from the vectorial structure. Our results indicate that the relative weight integrated over the transverse plane of the evanescent wave depends strongly on the number of the polarization topological charges. The shapes of the intensity profiles of the longitudinal components are different from those of the transverse components, and it can be manipulated by changing the initial So P of the field cross-section. The longitudinal component of evanescent wave dominates the near-field region. In addition, it also leads to three-dimensional shape variations of the optical field and the optical spin angular momentum flux density distributions.     

Analysis of radiation pressure exerted on a metallic particle within an evanescent field

Radiation pressure induced by an evanescent field was experimentally analyzed for a single submicrometer-sized gold particle. The force measurement was based on a thermodynamic analysis of Brownian motion by use of a three-dimensional position-sensing technique. The lateral radiation pressure could be ascribed to a scattering force, which was oriented in the same direction as the propagation vector of the incident laser beam. The potential profile in the longitudinal direction indicated that the gold particle was attracted to the high-intensity region of the evanescent field by a gradient force.     

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.     

Diffracted field distribution from a knife-edge truncated semi-Gaussian beam as an atomic （molecular） mirror

We investigate the diffraction characteristics of an incident Gaussian beam cut by a straight edge bounding a semi-infinite opaque plane using Kirchhoff scalar wave theory in the Fresnel limit, and propose a new and simple mirror scheme to reflect atoms by using the intensity gradient induced by a blue-detuned semi-Gaussian laser beam. The optical potential of the diffracted light of the knife-cut semi-Gaussian beam for $^{85}$Rb atom and its spontaneous emission probability are calculated and compared with the performance of the evanescent-wave mirror. Our study shows that the optical potential of the diffracted light of the semi-Gaussian beam is far higher than that of the evanescent light wave, and the maximum normal velocity of the incident atoms can be far greater than that of the evanescent light wave under the same parameters, so the blue-detuned semi-Gaussian beam, as a novel atomic mirror, can be used to efficiently reflect cold atoms with a normal velocity of greater than 1 m/s. However, the intensity gradient (force) of the diffracted light of the semi-Gaussian-beam is much smaller than that of the evanescent light wave, so its spontaneous emission probability is greater than that from the evanescent-wave when the normal velocity of incident atoms is greater.     

Experimental verification of overcoming the diffraction limit with a volumetric Veselago-Pendry transmission-line lens

A fully printed Veselago-Pendry lens (isotropic n=-1, epsilon(r)=-1, mu(r)=-1) is presented which is based on transmission-line metamaterials. The lens is constructed in a parallel-plate environment at 1.569 GHz and without any embedded sources and achieves a resolution better than the diffraction limit (full width half power of 0.235 lambda). Because the lens is low loss (<0.3 dB per unit cell), the focused fields are dominated by the evanescent components which dictates that subwavelength tightening of the beam is achieved only in the transverse and not the longitudinal direction. The demonstrated lens is quarter-wavelength thick thus allowing ample "working distance" between the subject/image and the lens.     

Experimental Research on Focusing Property of Radially Polarized Beam Based on Solid Immersion Lens

Realization of a near-field optical virtual probe based on an evanescent Bessel beam is strongly dependent on a radially polarized beam; this makes it essential to study the focusing property of the beam. In this paper, two experimental setups based on a fiber device and a liquid crystal device, respectively, are built to generate a radially polarized beam. This beam and an annular radially polarized beam are focused by means of a high numerical aperture objective and a solid immersion lens (SIL). Near-field distribution of the focus spot, the evanescent Bessel field, is experimentally measured with a scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM). The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the central peak of the evanescent Bessel field is about 200 nm in the close vicinity of the bottom surface of SIL. This has potential for use as a near-field optical virtual probe.     

Effects of Evanescent Space-Harmonics on the Transmission Characteristics of a Gaussian Beam by Cylindrical Wire Grids

When electromagnetic waves propagate through a wire grid, there will be some evanescent space harmonics generated around the wire grid. In this paper, we mainly investigate their effects on the transmission characteristics of a Gaussian beam by cylindrical wire grids. The results are compared with those without taking account of evanescent space-harmonics.     

含负折射率介质的多层结构中倏逝波传播及隧道效应的分析

研究了倏逝波在含负折射率介质的多层平板结构中的传播特性，解析地分析了倏逝波在不同结构参数下的放大或衰减规律及其原因以及能流的分布，并着重讨论了负折射率介质的损耗对隧道效应的影响，最后通过模拟高斯光束在该结构中的传播和能量储存，形象地给出了负折射率介质的损耗对倏逝波的影响和对光子隧道效应的减弱. 关键词： 负折射率介质 倏逝波 隧道效应     

The focusing property of vector Bessel-Gauss beams by a high numerical aperture objective

The rich available transverse intensity structure of vector Bessel-Gauss beams make it important to probe into the focusing property by high numerical aperture objective. In this paper, we obtain the analytical expressions of azimuthally, radially and longitudinally polarized components in the focal area of the objective after tight focusing. Theoretical analysis and the numerical simulation show that, the transverse intensity distributions of the focused beams still have doughnut-like structure, two separate peak structure and circularly aligned array structure. The focused beam spots obtained by an objective with annular aperture usually have smaller spots than with circular aperture. The focused beam of the vector Bessel-Gauss beam with lowest mode number m = 0 is a radially and azimuthally polarized doughnut-like beam with no longitudinal component. These properties and results are useful in optical trapping and particle alignment.     

光子扫描隧道显微镜的角谱传递函数

用傅里叶角谱衍理论推导了光子扫描隧道显笛镜的标量和矢量角谱传递函数。表明,光子扫描隧道显微镜的角谱传递鲜明地分成两个区,即远场区和近场区。随首探针榈间距增大,近场区内的角谱其振幅迅速衰减,频率越高衰减越快,而相位保持不变;相反远场区内的角谱内的角谱其振幅保持不变,而相位非均匀线性均匀线性增加,频率越低增加越快。光子扫描隧道显微镜对近场角谱的采集能力是其皮瑞利衍射极限的关键。坦 步根据角谱传递函数计     

The transmission enhancement of a THz pulse through an Ag/Ag2O layer detected by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

This paper reports a new way to detect the enhanced transmission of a THz electromagnetic wave through an Ag/Ag2O layer by THz-TDS （time-domain spectroscopy）. As the THz beam illuminates the sub-wavelength Ag particles gained by Ag2O thermal decomposition, the evanescent wave is generated. The evanescent wave is coupled by a 500μm-GaAs substrate, which attaches behind the Ag/Ag2O layer, and then it transmits to the far field to be detected. The experimental results indicate that the transmitting amplitude is enhanced, as well as the frequent shifting and spectra broadening.     

Anomalies in the field of a gaussian beam near focus

A theoretical analysis of the electromagnetic field of a focused gaussian beam, like that produced by some lasers, indicates anomalies in the field distribution over the focal region. The transverse component of the electric field is shown graphically in this region using data obtained through the numerical integration of an expression that is exact according to Maxwell's equations. These data agree with the standard paraxial theories used to describe gaussian beams only asymtotically, in the limit of zero beam divergence about focus. As the divergence is increased, so that the beam is brought more sharply to focus, the gaussian beam evolves toward a dipole field from which all evanescent plane waves have been removed. Gaussian beams observed in nature should show some evidence of the associated anomalies, even if the beam is almost collimated.     

Linearly polarised three-colour lasing emission from an evanescent wave pumped and gain coupled fibre laser

A novel Whispering--Gallery--Mode (WGM) fibre laser, emitting linearly polarised three-colour light, is demonstrated by pumping and gain coupling with evanescent waves. The pump light is longitudinally coupled into a bare optical fibre immersed in a dye solution of lower refractive index. The dye molecules around the bare fibre are excited by the evanescent waves of pump light when they propagate along the fibre in a total internal reflection. When the pump beam within the fibre is a meridian beam, the WGM lasing emission from the fibre laser is a linearly polarised transverse electric wave, while it is a mixed wave of the linearly polarised transverse electric and magnetic waves if the pump beam is a skew beam within the fibre. Because the excited molecules are located within the evanescent field of WGM, a good spatial overlap between the dye gain and the evanescent field leads to a high pumping efficiency and a longer gain distance along the fibre. Once the bare fibre is inserted into three glass capillaries filled with Rhodamine 6G, 610 and 640 dye solutions, respectively, WGM laser oscillations at the wavelengths of 567--575, 605--614 and 656--666~nm occur simultaneously, and a linearly polarised three-colour lasing emission is achieved in a single optical fibre.     

Optimization of evanescent wave imaging for the visualization of protein adsorption layers

We have optimized the settings of evanescent wave imaging for the visualization of a protein adsorption layer.The enhancement of the evanescent wave at the interface brought by the incident angle,the polarized state of light beam as well as a gold layer is considered.In order to improve the image contrast of a protein monolayer in experiments,we have optimized three factors- the incident angle,the polarization of light beam,and the thickness of an introduced thin gold layer with a theoretical simulation.     

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.     

Manipulation of Particles with Counter-Propagating Evanescent Waves

Two counter-propagating evanescent beams are used to align and manipulate polystyrene particles on a prism surface. Since the radiation pressure transferred laterally from the evanescent wave is negated on both sides, particles can be stably aligned. By projecting a circular and a linear beam spot onto the interface, both multiple and single arrays of particles are achieved. Arrays of particles trapped on the interface can be easily moved adjusting the intensity of incident beams on either side. We also simulate electromagnetic distribution of scattering light that is converted from the evanescent wave using the FDTD method. The results show that scattering light converts from an evanescent wave propagating through a particle array and has a distance longer than that propagating from a normal evanescent wave.