有孔探针近场拉曼光谱和成像技术进展

基于有孔探针SNOM的近场拉曼光谱和成像技术的出现使得拉曼光谱的分辨率突破了光学衍射极限,从而提供了一个有力的工具对样品亚波长尺度之下的化学信息进行表征。文章讨论了探针性质对实现近场拉曼光谱的影响,并全面地介绍了有孔探针近场拉曼光谱发展十余年来在纳米尺度化学分辨成像、液-液界面性质研究、微观层面解释SERS增强机理、图像化反映SERS热点分布等诸多领域的研究进展。     

Amplitude- and phase-resolved optical near fields of split-ring-resonator-based metamaterials

We investigate the local optical response of split-ring resonator-(SRR)-based metamaterials with an apertureless scanning near-field optical microscope. By mapping the near fields of suitably resonant micrometer-sized SRRs in the near-infrared spectral region with an uncoated silicon tip, we obtain a spatial resolution of better than lambda/50. The experimental results confirm numerical predictions of the near-field excitations of SRRs. Combining experimental near-field optical studies with near- and far-field optical simulations provides a detailed understanding of resonance mechanisms in subwavelength structures and will facilitate an efficient approach to improved designs.     

Fabrication of a Near-Field Optical Fiber Probe with a Nanometric Metallized Protrusion

We have developed a novel probe with a nanometric metallized protrusion extending through a subwavelength aperture to increase optical near-field excitation and collection efficiencies. The apex diameter of the fabricated metallized protrusion was 35 nm. The Intensity distribution of the optical near-field at the apex of the probe was measured by scanning another probe across the apex, and it was observed that strong optical near-field was generated at the apex of the metallized protrusion. The width of the intensity distribution was 150 nm including instrumental resolution. Probes with spherical and ellipsoidal metallized protrusion were also fabricated, by which enhancement of the optical near-field is expected due to localized plasmon excitation.     

Near-field terahertz imaging with a dynamic aperture

By introduction of an optical gating beam on a semiconductor wafer, near-field terahertz (THz) imaging with a dynamic aperture has been realized. The spatial resolution is determined by the focus size of the optical gating bean and the near-field diffraction effect. THz imaging with subwavelength spatial resolution (better than 50mum) is demonstrated.     

Radiation forces on a Rayleigh dielectric sphere in a patterned optical near field

We report on the study of the radiation forces exerted on a Rayleigh dielectric particle by a patterned optical near-field landscape at an interface decorated with resonant gold nanostructures. This configuration allows for the generation of a large array of surface subwavelength optical traps from an extended collimated beam, which may be of interest for parallel optical manipulation and sorting of submicrometer objects.     

Near-field optical observations of surface plasmon wave interference at subwavelength hole arrays perforated in Au film

We image optical near-field patterns at subwavelength circular hole arrays in Au film by using scanning near-field optical microscopy in near-infrared wavelengths.Periodical oscillation features are found in the near-field images at the air/Au interface and exhibit two typical kinds of standing wave oscillation forms at the wavelengths corresponding to the transmission minimum and maximum in the transmission spectrum,and the latter one originates from the excitation and interference of a surface plasmon wave at the metallic hole arrays.Our work indicates that monitoring optical near-field patterns can help to reveal many interesting properties of surface plasmon waves at metallic nanostructures and understand their underlying physical mechanisms.     

Optical near-field microscopy of light focusing through a photonic crystal flat lens

We report here the direct observation by using a scanning near-field microscopy technique of the light focusing through a photonic crystal flat lens designed and fabricated to operate at optical frequencies. The lens is fabricated using a III-V semiconductor slab, and we directly visualize the propagation of the electromagnetic waves by using a scanning near-field optical microscope. We directly evidence spatially, as well as spectrally, the focusing operating regime of the lens. At last, in light of the experimental scanning near-field optical microscope pictures, we discuss the lens ability to focus light at a subwavelength scale.     

High-sensitivity near-field laser microscopy

We propose a new method of laser spectroscopy, which combines high subwavelength space resolution, high sensitivity, and spectral resolution. The method is based on using a fiber laser near the generation threshold instead of a fiber optical near-field microscope. The near-field subwavelength aperture in the “active” fiber is employed for probing. Absorption on the objects under consideration (atoms, molecules, nanostructure, etc.) leads to the failure of oscillations in the fiber laser. We make a computer simulation of the system under consideration and analyze the method’s sensitivity.     

Subwavelength-sized beam spot confinement using an optical thin core dielectric ridge-type waveguide in leaky mode

Optical near-field plasmon-enhancement techniques have made marked contributions to the field of subwavelength optical beam spot generation for photonic devices. However, the metal material used is not sufficiently heat resistant for high-temperature operating requirements, such as laser-assisted magnetic recording storage. Therefore, it is preferable to use a dielectric material as a heat source for this application. To realize a subwavelength optical beam spot size using a dielectric material, we extensively analyze a leaky mode dielectric waveguide with a thin core. Finally, we show a new ridge-type dielectric waveguide using a leaky mode operation for a subwavelength beam spot.     

Complex optical constants on a subwavelength scale

Optical phase contrast has for the first time been observed on a nanometer scale, with a near-field microscope of scattering type that maps the complete optical field of amplitude and phase. Backed by quasielectrostatic theory, we demonstrate the significance and experimental accessibility of even complex optical constants on a subwavelength scale. Further, our method can separate the near-field response from background artifacts and thus is expected to enable nanoscale optical mapping of even topography-rich objects such as resonant clusters and macromolecules.     

Finite Difference Time Domain Calculations Combined with Analytical Methods for Study of Near-Field Optical Probe

The finite difference time domain method is combined with eigenmode analysis of the waveguide and the Helmholtz-Kirchhoff integral to study the field distribution and the throughput of the near-field optical probe. This includes a waveguide, a Si substrate with A1 coating, and a subwavelength aperture. It is found that the optics inside the probe and the optical properties of the probe depend strongly on the field distribution of the incident light.     

Resonantly enhanced transmission of light through subwavelength apertures with dielectric filling

Using both analytical and numerical methods to study transmission of light through dielectric-filled subwavelength apertures in a real metal, we have found that a propagating mode can in principle exist inside a waveguide of arbitrary small size if a particular relationship between the dielectric constants of the cladding and filling materials at the incident frequency is satisfied. Practical transmission through a subwavelength aperture of finite depth can be enhanced when the depth is such that Fabry-Pérot-like resonances are excited. For 810 nm light incident on a silicon-filled 50-nm-diameter aperture in a 200-nm-thick gold film, we found that a normalized near-field intensity ratio of 1.6 at the exit can be achieved. This resonantly enhanced transmission phenomenon may be advantageously applicable to near-field scanning optical microscopy and single-molecule spectroscopy.     

Simulation of photodetection using finite-difference time-domain method with application to near-field subwavelength imaging based on nanoscale semiconductor photodetector array

Simulation of detecting photoelectrons using multi-level multi-electron (MLME) finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method with an application to near-field subwavelength imaging based on semiconductor nanophotodetector (NPD) array is reported. The photocurrents from the photodiode pixels are obtained to explore the resolution of this novel NPD device for subwavelength imaging. One limiting factor of the NPD device is the optical power coupling between adjacent detector pixels. We investigate such power coupling in the presence of absorbing media as well as the spatial distributions of the electric field and photoelectron density using the MLME FDTD simulation. Our results show that the detection resolution is about one tenth of the operating wavelength, which is comparable to that of a near-field scanning optical microscope based on metal clad tapered fiber.     

Enhanced light transmission through a single subwavelength aperture

The optical transmission through a subwavelength aperture in a metal film is strongly enhanced when the incident light is resonant with surface plasmons at the corrugated metal surface surrounding the aperture. Conversely, the aperture acts as a novel probe of the surface plasmons, yielding useful insights for optimizing the transmission enhancement. For the optimal corrugation geometry, a set of concentric circular grooves, three times more light is transmitted through the central subwavelength aperture than directly impinges upon it. This effect is useful in the fabrication of near-field optical devices with extremely high optical throughput.     

Theoretical near-field optical properties of branched plasmonic nanoparticle networks

Extended branched networks of single-nanoparticle chains have recently been self-assembled from colloidal suspensions. In particular, gold nanoparticle linear chains and complex chain networks have revealed unique signatures of plasmon modes in their extinction spectra. In this Letter, we investigate theoretically their near-field optical properties and show that a real space mapping of these modes can be achieved with a photon scanning tunneling microscope setup. A distinct subwavelength patterning of the optical near-field gives rise to well-resolved photon scanning tunneling microscope images that can be used to identify the network segments able to efficiently carry optical energy.     

Controlling strong electromagnetic fields at subwavelength scales

We investigate the optical response of two subwavelength grooves on a metallic screen, separated by a subwavelength distance. We show that the cavity, Fabry-Perot-like mode, already observed in one-dimensional periodic gratings and known for a single slit, splits into two resonances in our system: a symmetric mode with a small Q factor, and an antisymmetric one which leads to a much stronger field enhancement. This behavior results from the near-field coupling of the grooves. Moreover, the use of a second incident wave allows control of the localization of the photons in the groove of our choice, depending on the phase difference between the two incident waves. The system acts exactly as a subwavelength optical switch operated from far field.     

金属薄膜亚波长近场成像特性研究

采用基于等离子体物理模型的时域有限差分方法模拟了金属薄膜近场成像特性;采用薄膜传输矩阵方法计算了金属薄膜对倏逝波分量的放大作用.实现了周期为1μm的Cr光栅的成像实验,验证了平板金属薄膜的模拟成像特性. 关键词： 时域有限差分 金属薄膜 近场亚波长成像 传输矩阵方法     

Near-field Moiré effect mediated by surface plasmon polariton excitation

We have demonstrated a surface plasmon polariton mediated optical Moiré effect by inserting a silver slab between two subwavelength gratings. Enhancement of the evanescent fields by the surface plasmon excitations on the silver slab leads to a remarkable contrast improvement in the Moiré fringes from two subwavelength gratings. Numerical calculations, which agree very well with the experimental observation of evanescent-wave Moiré fringes, elucidate the crucial role of the surface plasmon polaritons. The near-field Moiré effect has potential applications to extend the existing Moiré techniques to subwavelength characterization of nanostructures.     

Modeling of near-field optical diffraction from a subwavelength aperture in a thin conducting film

A theoretical model, novel to our knowledge, to investigate the near-field optical diffraction from a subwavelength aperture in a thin conducting film is presented. A governing equation for the magnetic field distribution in an optical thin film based on the power flow theorem is derived for the first time. Thus all of the components of the electric and magnetic fields inside or outside the thin film with a subwavelength aperture embedded can be obtained by applying the Hankel transform accurately. Numerical computations are performed to illustrate the edge effect by an enhancement factor of 2.2 and the depolarization phenomenon of the transmission in terms of the distance from the film surface.     

Spatially shifted beam approach to subwavelength focusing

Although negative-refractive-index metamaterials have successfully achieved subwavelength focusing, image resolution is limited by the presence of losses. In this Letter, a metal transmission screen with subwavelength spaced slots is proposed that focuses the near-field beyond the diffraction limit and, furthermore, is easily scaled from microwave frequencies to the optical regime. An analytical model based on the superposition of shifted-beam patterns is developed that agrees very well with full-wave simulations and is corroborated by experimental results at microwave frequencies.