Theoretical study of optical recording with a solid immersion lens illuminated by focused double-ring-shaped radially-polarized beam

Based on the Richards–Wolf vector diffraction theory, the intensity distributions in the recording sample near a solid immersion lens are calculated for two different radially-polarized beams (R-TEM11∗ and R-TEM01∗ modes). Numerical results show that a double-ring-shaped R-TEM11∗ mode focusing has some excellent features in near-field optical storage, compared with a single-ring-shaped R-TEM01∗ mode focusing. The recording density is markedly improved, the focal depth of the near-field recording system is substantially increased, and a subsurface recording is effectively obtained using the R-TEM11∗ mode focusing.