期刊名称：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN：0027-8424
电子版ISSN：1091-6490
出版年度：2018
卷号：115
期号：26
页码：6554-6559
DOI：10.1073/pnas.1803652115
语种：English
出版社：The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要：We amend the general belief that waves with extended spherical wavefront focus at their center of curvature. Instead, when the spherical symmetry of waves is broken by propagating them through a finite aperture along an average direction, the forward/backward symmetry is broken and the focal volume shifts its center backward along that direction. The extent of this focal shift increases as smaller apertures are used, up to the point that the nominal focal plane is out of focus. Furthermore, the loss of axial symmetry with noncircular apertures causes distinct focal shifts in distinct axial planes, and the resulting astigmatism possibly degrades the axial focusing resolution. Using experiments and simulations, focal shift with noncircular apertures is described for classical and temporal focusing. The usefulness of these conclusions to improve imaging resolution is demonstrated in a high-resolution optical microscopy application, namely line-temporal focusing microscopy. These conclusions follow from fundamental symmetries of the wave geometry and matter for an increasing number of emerging optical techniques. This work offers a general framework and strategy to understand and improve virtually any wave-based application whose efficacy depends on optimal focusing and may be helpful when information is transmitted by waves in applications from electromagnetic communications, to biological and astronomical imaging, to lithography and even warfare.
