Abstract

We consider the three-dimensional (3D) polarimetric properties of an evanescent optical field excited in the gap of a double-prism system by a random plane wave. The analysis covers the case of frustrated total internal reflection (FTIR), i.e., optical tunneling, and relies on the characteristic decomposition of the $3 \times 3$ polarization matrix. We find in particular that, for any incident partially polarized plane wave, the evanescent field inside the gap is necessarily in a nonregular, genuine 3D polarization state. We also show that the 3D polarimetric properties of the field at the second boundary are sensitive to the changes of the gap width and that the relevant effects occur for the smaller widths when the angle of incidence of the plane wave becomes larger. The results of this work uncover new aspects of the polarimetric structure of genuine 3D evanescent fields and may find applications in near-field optics and surface nanophotonics.

© 2023 Optica Publishing Group

Polarization characteristics and transverse spin of Mie scattering

Zhaolou Cao and Chunjie Zhai
Opt. Express 32(2) 1478-1488 (2024)

Partial spatial coherence and partial polarization in random evanescent fields on lossless interfaces

Andreas Norrman, Tero Setälä, and Ari T. Friberg
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 28(3) 391-400 (2011)

Components of purity of a three-dimensional polarization state

José J. Gil
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 33(1) 40-43 (2016)

Three-dimensional polarization states of monochromatic light fields

R. M. A. Azzam
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 28(11) 2279-2283 (2011)

Three-dimensional polarization algebra

Colin J. R. Sheppard, Marco Castello, and Alberto Diaspro
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 33(10) 1938-1947 (2016)