Vectorial high NA computation of the light electric field near the focus and inside the thin film stack of optical discs

The trends in optical recording on discs are to use higher numerical apertures and lower wavelengths. The next generation of discs will certainly use NA=0.85 focusing optics and /spl lambda/=400 nm laser sources (DVR). In order to simulate thermal processes while recording and reading an optical disc, it is essential to determine the exact beat source. With such high apertures, and even with SIL (solid immersion lens) optics, the scalar models can seem unreliable. We used a vectorial model to compute the spatial distribution of the electric field near the focus point inside multilayered thin film stacks in order to evaluate the approximation we make in our thermo optical simulation models.