Near-field diffraction by a slit: Implications for superresolution microscopy

The transmission of light through an infinite slit in a thick perfectly conducting screen is investigated. The spatial distribution of the near-field energy flux is determined through the formulation of four coupled integral equations, which are solved numerically. Transmission coefficients calculated by this method are in agreement with those determined by an alternative formulation. The results theoretically demonstrate the feasibility of near-field superresolution microscopy, in which the collimated radiation passed by an aperture is used to circumvent the diffraction limit of conventional optics, and further suggest the feasibility of near-field superresolution acoustic imaging.