Abstract

Optical point sources are considered theoretical idealizations. However, it is pertinent to characterize feasible physical point sources for the current micro- and nano-optics. It is shown that certain three-dimensional (3D) distributions of real and virtual point emitters provide a nonparaxial energy cone with the same geometry of the cone provided by the single ideal real point emitter placed at the midpoint of the 3D distribution. These cones fit along arbitrary distances from the 3D distribution up to very short ones (a fraction of the wavelength). A generalized criterion is proposed to characterize the physical point source as a feasible 3D object. Some implications are discussed.

© 2019 Optical Society of America

Nonparaxial interference and diffraction under 3D spatial coherence

Pablo Bedoya-Ríos, Julián Laverde, and Román Castañeda
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 39(9) 1558-1568 (2022)

Spectrum of classes of point emitters: new tool for nonparaxial optical field modeling

Román Castañeda and Hernán Muñoz
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 33(8) 1421-1429 (2016)

Matrix algorithm for 3D nonparaxial optical field modeling under arbitrary spatial coherence

Román Castañeda, Julián Laverde, and Jaime Moreno
Appl. Opt. 59(13) D21-D30 (2020)

Discreteness of the real point emitters as a physical condition for diffraction

Román Castañeda
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 34(2) 184-192 (2017)

Simulation of point-source scintillation through three-dimensional random media

J. M. Martin and Stanley M. Flatté
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 7(5) 838-847 (1990)