Properties of a three-dimensional photonic jet

By focusing light with a sphere several wavelengths in diameter, we can obtain a photonic nanojet [Opt. Express 13, 526 (2005)]: if light is focused on the surface of the sphere, the width of the beam stays smaller than the wavelength along a distance of propagation of approximately two wavelengths and reaches a high intensity. We use the rigorous Mie theory to analyze the basic properties of the photonic jet in the general three-dimensional polarized case. This fast algorithm allows us to determine the influence of the radius and the refractive index of the sphere on the photonic jet. The polarization response is also studied. We observe that high-intensity concentrations and subwavelength focusing are two different effects. Their basic properties are analyzed, and explanations are proposed. (c) 2005 Optical Society of America.