Time-Reversed Diffraction

2000/03/23 by Max S. Zolotorev, Zolotorev, Max S., Kirk T. McDonald +1
Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Optics (physics.optics) #physics.optics

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.physics/0003058

arxiv created 2000/03/23 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01

Abstract

We show that a time-reversed formulation of Huygens-Kirchhoff diffraction can be used to deduce the transverse and longitudinal fields of a Gaussian laser beam, starting from a simple assumption of a Gaussian beam profile in the far field. An attempt to apply this technique to the far fields of a Hertzian dipole shows how the laws of diffraction do not permit a wave to be focused to a volume smaller than a cubic wavelength in a charge-free region.

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