title: Observation of polarization singularities at the nanoscale.
abstract: With a phase-sensitive near-field microscope we measure independently the two in-plane electric field components of light propagating through a 2D photonic crystal waveguide and the phase difference between them. Consequently, we are able to reconstruct the electric vector field distribution with subwavelength resolution. In the complex field distribution we observe both time-dependent and time-independent polarization singularities and determine the topology of the surrounding electric field.
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanophotonics, FOM Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics (AMOLF), Kruislaan 407, 1098 SJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands. burresi@amolf.nl
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burresi
authors.forename: R J P
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Engelen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Opheij
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van Oosten
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kuipers
mesh_terms: D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011846:Radio Waves; D055871:Tidal Waves