| Abstract: |
The Polarization and intensity of light scattered by monodisperse polystyrene latex and copper spheres, with diameters ranging from 92 to 218 nm, deposited on silicon substrates were measured with 442-, 532-, and 633-nm light. The results are compared with a theory for scattering by a sphere on a surface, originally developed by others [Physica A 137, 209 (1986),], and extended to include coatings on the sphere and the substrate. The results show that accurate calculation of the scattering of light by a metal sphere requires that the near-field interaction between the sphere and its image be included in a complete manner. The normal-incidence approximation does not suffice for this interaction, and the existence of any thin oxide layer on the substrate must be included in the calculation. |
