Local and dynamic properties of light interacting with subwavelength holes

The discovery of the extraordinary transmission phenomena has initiated an intense study of the interaction of light with subwavelength holes. In this thesis the dynamic and local properties of light interacting with subwavelength holes are investigated. First of all the role of hole shape on the propagation of femtosecond pulses through hole arrays and the nonlinear second harmonic generated is investigated. It is found that near the cutoff of a hole a maximum of pulse delay is found. Furthermore a larger delay leads to a larger amount of second harmonic. The local properties of light interacting with subwavelength holes are investigated with a new technique that employs the radiation that is generated when an electron travels trough the interface between two media with a different dielectric constant. This radiation- transition radiation- contains information on the optical environment. The high resolution of a focused beam of electrons leads thus to a ultra high resolution tool to obtain optical information. The technique is employed for the study of subwavelength holes, investigating the role of hole shape, the effects of polarization and the effects occurring in multiple holes.