Photonic nanojet-induced modes: From physics to applications

Kenneth W. Allen, Arash Darafsheh, Vasily N. Astratov

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

10 Scopus citations

Abstract

The effects of periodical focusing of light are studied in chains of spheres with diameters varying from 2 μm to 300 μm and with index of refraction varying from 1.3 to 2.5. Experimentally, we show that the coupled focused beams decrease in size along the chain of polystyrene microspheres with index n = 1.59, reaching wavelength-scale dimensions in the case of small beads with 4 < D/ λ 10, where D is the spheres diameter and is λ the wavelength of light. We show that these effects are determined by the existence of so-called photonic nanojet-induced modes with the period approximately equal to the size of two spheres. By using numerical ray tracing we show that in the limit of geometrical optics such effect of "tapering" of optical beams does not exist for spheres with n = 1.59, however it should be very pronounced in a narrow range of indices around n = 1.75. The results can be used for developing various focusing devices for photonics and biomedical optics applications.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2011 13th International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks, ICTON 2011
DOIs
StatePublished - 2011
Event2011 13th International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks, ICTON 2011 - Stockholm, Sweden
Duration: Jun 26 2011Jun 30 2011

Publication series

NameInternational Conference on Transparent Optical Networks
ISSN (Electronic)2162-7339

Conference

Conference2011 13th International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks, ICTON 2011
Country/TerritorySweden
CityStockholm
Period06/26/1106/30/11

Keywords

  • focusing
  • geometrical optics design
  • laser tissue surgery
  • medical optics
  • microprobes
  • microsphere

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