Polarization structuring for focal volume shaping in high-resolution microscopy

We examined pupil-plane polarization structures for high numerical-aperture objective lenses that generate light distributions at the focal volume similar to those produced by purely radial and azimuthal polarizations. The engineered structures can be dynamically generated with spatial light modulators without the need for additional moving parts in the optical system. Computer simulations show that the method can be considered a valuable addition to the tools available for controlling the interaction of light with matter at the focal region. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.