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Inhomogeneously polarized illumination in optical imaging

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Abstract

It has long been understood that high numerical aperture optical systems exhibit polarization inhomogeneities in the image plane. When the image plane happens to coincide with a surface or series of interfaces, the interaction of the polarized field with the interface can present interesting challenges to the optical designer. We take a particular interest in systems with pupil illumination which is, intentionally, inhomogeneously polarized in the pupil plane. Such systems may have a variety of different polarization distributions in the image plane; these polarizations need not be transverse to the optical axis, and some of the most interesting cases contain a central diffraction-limited spot which is polarized along the optical axis. This paper will describe experiments demonstrating this type of illumination in imaging and discuss the creative use of inhomogeneous polarization in optical system design, emphasizing applications in microscopy/inspection and lithography. Problems such as this normally require vector diffraction theory; we address the prospects for ray-based analyses to aid in the understanding of inhomogeneously polarized illumination.

© 2002 Optical Society of America

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