Nonparaxial singular beams inside the focal region of a high numerical-aperture lens

Abstract

Key optical technologies, including lithography, data storage, optical tweezers, microscopy, and ultrafast laser materials processing, rely on strongly focused light beams. Such beams are often used to exploit a vectorial nature of light and so detailed knowledge of the field structure inside a tight focus becomes increasingly important. So far, theoretical studies of intra-focal optical field components have been mainly concentrated on spatially homogeneous states of light polarisation. In this work we present a new development in the calculations of local polarisation structure of tightly focused singular beams, including radially and azimuthally polarised hollow beams.