Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 233901 (2003) [4 pages]Sharper Focus for a Radially Polarized Light Beam
See accompanying Physics Focus We experimentally demonstrate for the first time that a radially polarized field can be focused to a spot size significantly smaller [0.16(1)λ2] than for linear polarization (0.26λ2). The effect of the vector properties of light is shown by a comparison of the focal intensity distribution for radially and azimuthally polarized input fields. For strong focusing, a radially polarized field leads to a longitudinal electric field component at the focus which is sharp and centered at the optical axis. The relative contribution of this component is enhanced by using an annular aperture. © 2003 The American Physical Society URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.233901
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.91.233901
PACS:
42.25.Ja, 42.15.Dp
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