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On the concept of imaging nanoscale vector fields

Nature Photonics volume 1, pages 243–244 (2007)Cite this article

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— In a recent paper1, we demonstrated a new technique for spatially imaging the vectorial properties of optical near fields. In the preceding comment2, Gersen et al. speculate that only some bounding box, instead of a local elliptical polarization state, is measured and that this measurement depends strongly on the shape of the tip. This is incorrect. In our experiment, the orientation and shape of an arbitrary local elliptical polarization is reconstructed and this reconstruction is independent of the shape of the tip, provided that the polarizability tensor of the tip is characterized.

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Figure 1: Schematics for the detection and analysis of an elliptically polarized scattered field.
Figure 2: Tip characterization and data analysis.
Figure 3: Background-light effect on the measured vector orientation.

References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-747, Korea

    K. G. Lee, H. W. Kihm, J. E. Kihm, D. J. Park, Y. C. Yoon, S. B. Choi & D. S. Kim

  2. Department of Physics, Korea University, Seoul, 136-701, Korea

    W. J. Choi & Q. H. Park

  3. School of Electrical Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, 151-747, Korea

    H. Kim & B. Lee

  4. Max-Born-Institut für Nichtlineare Optik und Kurzzeitspektroskopie, Berlin, D-12489, Germany

    C. Ropers

  5. Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul, 136-791, Korea

    D. H. Woo

  6. Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, Taejon, 305-600, Korea

    J. Kim

  7. Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Institut für Physik, Oldenburg, D-26111, Germany

    Ch. Lienau

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  1. K. G. Lee
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Correspondence to D. S. Kim.

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Lee, K., Kihm, H., Kihm, J. et al. On the concept of imaging nanoscale vector fields. Nature Photon 1, 243–244 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2007.68b

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