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Nanointerferometric amplitude and phase reconstruction of tightly focused vector beams

Nature Photonics volume 8, pages 23–27 (2014)Cite this article

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Abstract

Highly confined vectorial electromagnetic field distributions are an excellent tool for detailed studies in nano-optics, such as nonlinear microscopy1, advanced fluorescence imaging2,3 or nanoplasmonics4,5. Such field distributions can be generated, for instance, by tight focusing of polarized light beams6,7,8,9. To guarantee high resolution in the investigation of objects with subwavelength dimensions, precise knowledge of the spatial distribution of the exciting vectorial field is of utmost importance. The full-field reconstruction methods presented to date involve, for example, complex near-field techniques10,11,12,13. Here, we demonstrate a simple and straightforward-to-implement measurement scheme and reconstruction algorithm based on the scattering signal of a single spherical nanoparticle as a field probe. We are able to reconstruct the amplitudes and relative phases of the individual focal field components with subwavelength resolution from a single scan measurement without the need for polarization analysis of the scattered light. This scheme has the potential to improve microscopy and nanoscopy techniques.

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Figure 1: Schematic of the scattering process.
Figure 2: Sketch of the experimental implementation of the reconstruction scheme.
Figure 3: Experimental results and theoretical comparison for a radially polarized vector beam.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank M. Neugebauer and S. Batz for discussions and M. Schmelzeisen from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz for the fabrication of the scattering particle.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Guenther-Scharowsky-Strasse 1/Building 24, Erlangen, 91058, Germany

    Thomas Bauer, Sergej Orlov, Peter Banzer & Gerd Leuchs

  2. Institute of Optics, Information and Photonics, University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Staudtstrasse 7/B2, Erlangen, 91058, Germany

    Thomas Bauer, Sergej Orlov, Ulf Peschel, Peter Banzer & Gerd Leuchs

  3. Cluster of Excellence ‘Engineering of Advanced Materials’, Naegelsbachstrasse 49b, Erlangen, 91052, Germany

    Ulf Peschel

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  1. Thomas Bauer
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  4. Peter Banzer
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Contributions

G.L., P.B., S.O. and U.P. conceived the idea. P.B. and T.B. designed the experiment. S.O. and P.B. developed the theoretical algorithm and procedure. T.B. performed the experiment. S.O. and T.B. analysed the data. G.L. and P.B. supervised all aspects of the project. All authors contributed to the text of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Peter Banzer.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Bauer, T., Orlov, S., Peschel, U. et al. Nanointerferometric amplitude and phase reconstruction of tightly focused vector beams. Nature Photon 8, 23–27 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2013.289

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