2009-10-01
Probing the magnetic field of light at optical frequencies
Publication
Publication
Science , Volume 326 p. 550- 553
Light is an electromagnetic wave composed of oscillating electric and magnetic fields, the one never occurring without the other. In light-matter interactions at optical frequencies, the magnetic component of light generally plays a negligible role. When we “see” or detect light, only its electric field is perceived; we are practically blind to its magnetic component. We used concepts from the field of metamaterials to probe the magnetic field of light with an engineered near-field aperture probe. We visualized with subwavelength resolution the magnetic- and electric-field distribution of propagating light.
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| doi.org/10.1126/science.1177096 | |
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Burresi, M., van Oosten, D., Kampfrath, T., Schoenmaker, H., Heideman, R., Leinse, A., & Kuipers, K. (2009). Probing the magnetic field of light at optical frequencies. Science, 326, 550–553. doi:10.1126/science.1177096 |
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