Three-dimensional mapping of the light intensity transmitted through nanoapertures

A general method to map the 3D spatial distribution of light emerging from nanoscale apertures is presented that uses photolithographic techniques to create polymer replicas of the intensity distribution. The resulting features varied with aperture diameter and exposure time and showed good correlation with theory. This method provides direct visualization of the intensity distribution in close proximity to nanostructures and overcomes limitations imposed by physical probes where the contribution of the probe to the map requires deconvolution.