Regarding the "Comments on 'Near-field interference for the unidirectional excitation of electromagnetic guided modes' " by Lee et al

TL;DR

This paper clarifies a misunderstanding about a fundamental near-field interference effect, emphasizing its universal physical nature across wave types and highlighting recent experimental validations beyond the original slit experiment.

Contribution

It clarifies the universal physical nature of the near-field interference effect and addresses misconceptions from prior comments, reaffirming its fundamental importance.

Findings

The near-field interference effect is fundamental and applies to all wave types.

Recent experiments have validated the effect in various structures.

The original slit experiment is just one realization of the effect.

Abstract

We would like to clarify the misunderstanding caused by comment [arXiv:1306.5068 (2013)] on our article [Science 340, 328 (2013)]. The vectorial near-field interference effect described in our article is a fundamental physical process valid for all kinds of waves, both photonic and plasmonic, and the discovery of this effect is the main topic of the paper. The experiment using a slit in a metal film was one possible practical realization, but the effect has recently been experimentally validated in several other structures, as described in this reply.