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Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Shaping the Amplitude and Phase of Laser Beams by Using a Phase-only Spatial Light Modulator
Published on: January 28, 2019
Creation and annihilation of phase singularities near a sub-wavelength slit
Abstract:
The anomalously-high transmission of light through subwavelength apertures is a phenomenon which has been observed in numerous experiments, but whose theoretical explanation is incomplete. In this article we present a numerical analysis of the power fl ow (characterized by the Poynting vector)of the electromagnetic fi eld near a sub-wavelength sized slit in a thin metal plate, and demonstrate that the enhanced transmission is accompanied by the annihilation of phase singularities in the power fl ow near the slit.
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In-phase-contrast microscopes, interference between light directly passing through a cell and light refracted by cellular components is used to create high-contrast, high-resolution images without staining. It is the oldest and simplest type of microscope that creates an image by altering the wavelengths of light rays passing through the specimen. Altered wavelength paths are created using an annular stop in the condenser. The annular stop produces a hollow cone of...

