Theory of high-NA imaging in homogeneous thin films

A description is given of a modeling technique that is used to explore three-dimensional image distributions formed by high numerical aperture (NA > 0.6) lenses in homogeneous, isotropic, linear, and source-free thin films. The approach is based on a plane-wave decomposition in the exit pupil. Factors that are due to polarization, aberration, object transmittance, propagation, and phase terms are associated with each planewave component. These are combined with a modified thin-film matrix technique in a derivation of the total field amplitude at each point in the film by a coherent vector sum over all plane waves. One then calculates the image distribution by squaring the electric-field amplitude. The model is used to show how asymmetries present in the polarized image change with the influence of a thin film. Extensions of the model to magneto-optic thin films are discussed. © 1996 Optical Society of America.