Observation of the optical analogue of the quantised conductance of a point contact

✍ Scribed by E.A. Montie; E.C. Cosman; G.W. 't Hooft; M.B. van der Mark; C.W.J. Beenakker

• Book ID: 103936620
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1991
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 277 KB
• Volume: 175
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0921-4526
• DOI: 10.1016/0921-4526(91)90706-k

✦ Synopsis

The light power transmitted by a diffusively illuminated slit of finite thickness is observed to depend stepwise on the slit width. The steps have equal height and a width of one half the wavelength of the monochromatic light used. This novel diffraction phenomenon is the analogue of the quantization of the conductance of a point contact in a two-dimensional electron gas. In contrast to the electronic case, absorption at the walls of the slit plays an important role in determining the shape of the steps, as we show from a model calculation.