Photonic nanojets generated using square-profile microsteps

Abstract

We have shown experimentally that square-profile microsteps on a silica substrate, with square sides of 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, and 0.8 μm and height of 500 nm, illuminated through the substrate by a linearly polarized laser beam of wavelength λ=633 nm, produce, near the surface, enhanced-intensity regions (termed photonic nanojects), with their intensity being six times higher than that of the incident light and their respective full width at half-maximum diameters being 0.44λ, 0.43λ, 0.39λ, and 0.47λ, which is below the diffraction limit of 0.51λ. It is worth noting that when the step side is smaller than the wavelength, the focus is found within the step; otherwise the focus is outside the step, which is similar to an optical candle.