Near-field Holographic Retrieval of an Isolated Subwavelength Hole in a Thin Metallic Film

Using a holographic approach, we experimentally study the near-field intensity distribution of light squeezed through an isolated subwavelength plasmonic hole in a thin metallic film. Our experiments revealed an in-plane electric dipole moment excited near the isolated hole. By analyzing the fringe patterns formed between the in-plane dipole and plane wave illumination, both the transmission coefficient and phase shift of the dipole can be retrieved. We also observed opposite phases of the excited dipoles from the subwavelength dent and protrusion in the metallic film, in good agreement with the prediction from our model. Our approach can be used to study the microscopic process of the light-structure interaction for the plasmonic and nanophotonic systems with potential applications in high density optical data storages.