Electromagnetic diffraction of light focused through a planar interface between materials of mismatched refractive indices: structure of the electromagnetic field I

Abstract

We consider the electromagnetic diffraction occurring when light is focused by a lens without spherical aberration through a planar interface between materials of mismatched refractive indices, which focusing produces spherical aberration. By means of a rigorous vectorial electromagnetic treatment developed previously for this problem by Torok et al. [ J. Opt. Soc. Am. A12, 325 ( 1995)], the time-averaged electric energy density distributions in the region of the focused probe are numerically evaluated for air–glass and air–silicon interfaces as functions of lens numerical aperture and probe depth. Strehl intensity, lateral and axial sizes, and axial location of the probe are shown to be regular functions for low numerical apertures and probe depths but irregular functions for high numerical apertures and probe depths. An explanation to account for these occurrences is presented that also explains some previous experimental results of confocal microscopy.