Microlens-aided focusing of linearly and azimuthally polarized laser light
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Published version
Date
2016-12-15
Authors
Stafeev, S. S.
Nalimov, A. G.
Kotlyar, M. V.
Gibson, D.
Song, S.
O'Faolain, Liam
Kotlyar, V. V.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Optical Society of America (OSA)
Published Version
Abstract
We have investigated a four-sector transmission polarization converter (4-SPC) for a wavelength of 633 nm, that enables the conversion of a linearly polarized incident beam into a mixture of linearly and azimuthally polarized beams. It was numerically shown that by placing a Fresnel zone plate of focal length 532 nm immediately after the 4-SPC, the incident light can be focused into an oblong subwavelength focal spot whose size is smaller than the diffraction limit (with width and breadth, respectively, measuring FWHM = 0.28λ and FWHM = 0.45λ, where λ is the incident wavelength and FWHM stands for full-width at half maximum of the intensity). After passing through the 4-SPC, light propagates in free space over a distance of 300 μm before being focused by a Fresnel zone plate (ZP), resulting in focal spot measuring 0.42λ and 0.81λ. The focal spot was measured by a near-field microscope SNOM, and the transverse E-field component of the focal spot was calculated to be 0.42λ and 0.59λ. This numerical result was verified experimentally, giving a focal spot of smaller and larger size, respectively, measuring 0.46λ and 0.57λ. To our knowledge, this is the first implementation of polarization conversion and subwavelength focusing of light using a pair of transmission micro-optic elements
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Keywords
Binary optics , Microstructure fabrication , Polarization-selective devices , Polarization , Diffractive lenses , Near-field microscopy , Subwavelength structures , Azimuthally polarized beams , Cylindrical vector beams , Electron beam lithography , Laser beams , Light beams , Polarization control
Citation
Stafeev, S.S., Nalimov, A.G., Kotlyar, M.V., Gibson, D., Song, S., O’Faolain, L. and Kotlyar, V.V., 2016. Microlens-aided focusing of linearly and azimuthally polarized laser light. Optics express, 24(26), pp. 29800-29813. DOI:10.1364/OE.24.029800