Three-dimensional Nanoscale Far-field Focusing of Radially Polarized Light by Scattering the SPPs with an Annular Groove

Three-dimensional (3D) nanoscale focusing of radially polarized light in far field by a simple plasmonic lens composed of an annular slit and a single concentric groove is reported. The numerical calculations reveal that the incident light is coupled to surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) by the annular slit and a focal spot with a size less than a half of the illumination wavelength is formed in the far field due to the constructive interference of the scattered light by the groove. More importantly, the focal length can be modulated by changing the groove diameter. This structure provides an admirable choice for the nano-optical devices. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America