<title>Optical near-field phase singularities produced by microstructures</title>

Abstract

An electromagnetic field is characterized by an amplitude, a phase and a polarization state. In this paper, we intend to gain an understanding of the interaction of light with microstructures in order to determine their optical properties. Measurements of the amplitude and phase close to gratings are presented using a heterodyne scanning probe microscope. We discuss some basic properties of phase distributions. Indeed, coherent light diffracted by microstructures can give birth to phase dislocations, also called phase singularities. Phase singularities are isolated points where the amplitude of the field is zero. The position of these special points can lead us to information about the structure (shape, surface defects, etc), by comparing with rigorous diffraction calculation using e.g. the Fourier Modal Method (FMM). We present high-resolution measurements of such phase singularities and compare them with theoretical results. Polarization effects have been studied in order to understand the field conversion by the fiber tip.