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Nonparaxial singular beams inside the focal region of a high numerical-aperture lens
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V.G. Shvedov 

Abstract. Key optical technologies, including lithography, data storage, optical tweezers, microscopy, and ultrafast laser materials processing, rely on strongly focused light beams. Such beams are often used to exploit a vectorial nature of light and so detailed knowledge of the field structure inside a tight focus becomes increasingly important. So far, theoretical studies of intra-focal optical field components have been mainly concentrated on spatially homogeneous states of light polarisation. In this work we present a new development in the calculations of local polarisation structure of tightly focused singular beams, including radially and azimuthally polarised hollow beams.

Keywords: singular beam, vector optical field, tight focus

PACS: 42.25.Ja, 42.60.Jf, 78.20.Bh
UDC: 535.51, 535.316
Ukr. J. Phys. Opt. 12 109-116 
doi: 10.3116/16091833/12/3/109/2011
Received: 18.03.2011

Анотація Основні оптичні технології, зокрема такі як літографія, запис даних, використання оптичних пінцетів, мікроскопія та надшвидка обробка лазерних матеріалів, базуються на сильному фокусуванні світлових променів. Використання цих променів здебільшого базується на векторній природі світла, тому детальна інформація про структуру поля всередині фокуса є особливо важливою. Однак теоретичне дослідження внутрішньо фокусних оптичних компонент поля досі переважно концентрувалося на просторово однорідних станах поляризації світла. У даній роботі представлено нові результати розрахунку структури локальної поляризації сильно сфокусованого сингулярного променя, включаючи випадки радіально та азимутально поляризованого пустотілого променя.
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