Smallest lithographic marks generated by optical focusing systems.

We show that the combination of Bessel beams and photosensitive materials exhibiting polarization filtering properties allows one to reach the smallest mark that can be lithographically generated by focusing systems. This property is of interest in current optical data storage techniques.

[1]  T. Grosjean,et al.  Polarization filtering induced by imaging systems: effect on image structure. , 2003, Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics.

[2]  Kathleen S. Youngworth,et al.  Focusing of high numerical aperture cylindrical-vector beams. , 2000, Optics express.

[3]  T. Grosjean,et al.  Smallest focal spots , 2007 .

[4]  Robert D. Grober,et al.  Piezo-electric tuning fork tip—sample distance control for near field optical microscopes , 1995 .

[5]  J. Kumar,et al.  Laser‐induced holographic surface relief gratings on nonlinear optical polymer films , 1995 .

[6]  Paul Rochon,et al.  Optically induced surface gratings on azoaromatic polymer films , 1995 .

[7]  A. Knoesen,et al.  Optical properties of nonlinear optical polymers: a method for calculation , 1998 .

[8]  T. Grosjean,et al.  Photopolymers as vectorial sensors of the electric field. , 2006, Optics express.

[9]  J. Zyss,et al.  Enhanced photoinduced birefringence in polymer microcavities , 2000 .

[10]  D. Van Labeke,et al.  Bessel beams as virtual tips for near‐field optics , 2003, Journal of microscopy.

[11]  Neil McArdle,et al.  Efficient generation of nearly diffraction-free beams using an axicon , 1992 .

[12]  Pascal Royer,et al.  Longitudinal anisotropy of the photoinduced molecular migration in azobenzene polymer films. , 2006, Optics letters.

[13]  T. A. Wiggins,et al.  Production and uses of diffractionless beams , 1991 .

[14]  D. Courjon,et al.  An all-fiber device for generating radially and other polarized light beams , 2002 .

[15]  Luciana Vaccaro,et al.  A virtual optical probe based on localized Surface Plasmon Polaritons. , 2005, Optics express.

[16]  J. S. Tyo,et al.  Optimum linear combination strategy for an N-channel polarization-sensitive imaging or vision system , 1998 .

[17]  Thomas D Milster Horizons for Optical Data Storage , 2005 .

[18]  L. Helseth Roles of polarization, phase and amplitude in solid immersion lens systems , 2001, physics/0108064.

[19]  Zdeněk Bouchal,et al.  Non-diffractive Vector Bessel Beams , 1995 .

[20]  Qiwen Zhan,et al.  Evanescent Bessel beam generation via surface plasmon resonance excitation by a radially polarized beam. , 2006, Optics letters.