Vibration of scanning near-field optical microscope probe with laser-induced thermal effect using Timoshenko beam theory

The Timoshenko beam theory, including the effects of rotary inertia and shear deformation, is used to analyze the resonant frequency of lateral vibration of scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) tapered probe with a laser-induced thermal effect. In the analysis, the thermal effect can be considered as an axial force and is dependent of temperature distribution of the probe. The Rayleigh–Ritz method is used to solve the vibration problem of the probe. According to the analysis, the frequencies of the first three vibration modes increase when the thermal effect is taken into account. The effects of shear deformation and rotary inertia on the frequency ratio of a Timoshenko beam to an Euler beam increase when the mode number increases and the contact stiffness decreases. In addition, the frequency of mode 1 increases with increasing taper angle and coating thickness of the probe. Comparison of the frequency of a SNOM probe coated with Al, Ag, or Au, the highest is with Al coating, and the lowest is with Au coating.     

Monolithic excitation and manipulation of surface plasmon polaritons on a vertical cavity surface emitting laser

We report the manipulation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) on a thin Au layer integrated on top of the mirror of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). Gratings etched into the Au layer to different depths are used to couple the light into and out of the film, and to bend the trajectory of the SPP. The result paves the way to compact integrated plasmonic devices.     

Large enhancement of Faraday rotation by localized surface plasmon resonance in Au nanoparticles embedded in Bi:YIG film

A large enhancement of the Faraday rotation, which is associated with localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), was obtained in a sample with Au nanoparticles embedded in a Bi-substituted yttrium iron garnet (Bi:YIG) film. On a quartz substrate, Au nanoparticles were formed by heating an Au thin film, and a Bi:YIG film was then deposited on them. A sample containing the Au nanoparticles produced by 1000 °C heating showed a resonant attenuation with narrower bandwidth in the transmission spectrum than nanoparticles of other samples formed by low-temperature heating. The sharp resonant Faraday rotation angle was 4.4 times larger than the estimated intrinsic Bi:YIG film at the LSPR wavelength; the angular difference was 0.14°. A discrepancy in the bandwidth between the transmission attenuation and the resonant Faraday rotation is discussed.     

Characterization of SnO2/Pb2CrO5 thin film/metal photovoltaic device

The photovoltaic behavior in a design of SnO₂/Pb₂CrO₅ thin film/metal (Au or Al) is described as functions of light intensity and wavelength for two different illumination directions. The Pb₂CrO₅ thin film in each device is formed over the SnO₂ coated glass substrate by an electron-beam evaporation technique. When illuminated from the metal side, the device with Au or Al shows the positive or the negative photovoltage, respectively. For the illumination from the SnO₂ side, the device with Au has the negative photovoltage at the short wavelength, and the positive one at the longer, while the device with Al has the negative photovoltage at both wavelength regions. These photovoltaic devices have two junctions at both sides of the Pb₂CrO₅ thin film. The band model of each device is also discussed.     

照明模式SNOM中样品对近场光场分布的影响

在同时考虑样品的形貌及材料光学参量和入射光偏振模式的情况下,利用基于边界元方法编写的二维矢量电磁场计算程序,对工作在照明模式下的扫描近场光学显微镜（Scanning Near-field Optical Microscope,SNOM）的近场矢量电磁场分布进行了数值计算模拟研究.结果表明,在没有表面形貌特征时,探针的光能量透射率随样品材料的折射率和损耗角的增加而增大,而样品表面光斑尺寸受折射率和损耗角的影响很小;对有形貌特征的探针扫描像研究结果表明,SNOM的分辨率随着样品的折射率和损耗角的增加而提高;对SNOM不同的工作模式的扫描成像信号进行的计算结果表明,恒定间距扫描方式比恒定高度扫描方式对样品表面的细节有较强的分辨能力.     

（Ti,Al）N Film on Normalized T8 Carbon Tool Steel Prepared by Pulsed High Energy Density Plasma Technique

Under optimized operating parameters, a hard and wear resistant （Ti,Al）N film is prepared on a normalized T8 carbon tool steel substrate by using pulsed high energy density plasma technique. Microstructure and composition of the film are analysed by x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Hardness profile and tribological properties of the film are tested with nano- indenter and ring-on-ring wear tester, respectively. The tested results show that the microstructure of the film is dense ahd uniform and is mainly composed of （Ti,Al）N and A1N hard phases. A wide transition interface exists between the film and the normalized T8 carbon tool steel substrate. Thickness of the film is about lO00nm and mean hardness value of the film is about 26 GPa. Under dry sliding wear test conditions, relative wear resistance of the （Ti, Al）N film is approximately 9 times higher than that of the hardened T8 carbon tool steel reference sample. Meanwhile, the （Ti,Al）N film has low and stable friction coefficient compared with the hardened T8 carbon tool steel reference sample.     

通过插入Au薄膜改善绿光OLED器件的发光色纯度

在一些有机电致发光器件中,Au常被用作阳极,研究者希望Au在导电的同时兼具半透明可出光的属性,这要求Au在能导电的同时厚度要尽量薄。因此制备两种金属共同组成电极成为了选择。将半透明Au/Al层插入阳极一侧,制备了结构为ITO/Al(16 nm)/Au(10 nm)/TPD(30 nm)/AlQ(30 nm)/LiF(0.5 nm)/Al的OLED器件,相对于器件ITO/TPD(30 nm)/AlQ(30 nm)/LiF(0.5 nm)/Al在长波方向出现了光谱窄化现象,通过分析和实验判断该现象是Au薄膜特有的对光的选择透过性造成,而并非微腔效应。阳极一侧加入了Au/Al的器件保持了广视角无角度依赖的优点,同时可以输出滤掉部分红光的纯度更高的发光,发光色纯度得到了改善。     

Photopatterning of a monomolecular dye film by means of scanning near-field optical microscopy

Patterned bleaching of a photolabile monomolecular dye film by means of scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) is demonstrated. After exposure, the written patterns were verified by SNOM with fluorescence detection. The adsorption of appropriate material to such near-field optically created patterns seems now feasible. The ultimate resolution limit of a monomolecular dye film for patterned bleaching by SNOM is discussed on the basis of a simple model.     

Numerical investigation of the enhanced unidirectional surface plasmon polaritons generator

A unidirectional surface plasmon polaritons(SPPs) generator with greatly enhanced generation efficiency is proposed. The SPPs generator consists of an asymmetric single nanoslit coated with a polyviny alcohol(PVA) film and a silver rectangle block. The generation efficiency of this SPPs generator is investigated using the finite difference time domain method. Due to the presence of the silver rectangle block, the SPPs generation efficiency of the asymmetric single nanoslit with PVA film can be greatly enhanced and the corresponding wavelength with the maximum enhancement factor can be tuned flexibly. The influence of the structural parameters on the generation efficiency is also investigated for the enhanced unidirectional SPPs generator.     

Super-resolution imaging of low-contrast periodic nanoparticle arrays by microsphere-assisted microscopy

We use the label-free microsphere-assisted microscopy to image low-contrast hexagonally close-packed polystyrene nanoparticle arrays with diameters of 300 and 250 nm.When a nanoparticle array is directly placed on a glass slide,it cannot be distinguished.If a 30-nm-thick Ag film is deposited on the surface of a nanoparticle array,the nanoparticle array with nanoparticle diameters of 300 and 250 nm can be distinguished.In addition,the Talbot effect of the 300-nm-diameter nanoparticle array is also observed.If a nanoparticle sample is assembled on a glass slide deposited with a 30-nm-thick Ag film,an array of 300-nm-diameter nanoparticles can be discerned.We propose that in microsphere-assisted microscopy imaging,the resolution can be improved by the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons(SPPs) on the sample surface or at the sample/substrate interface,and a higher near-field intensity due to the excited SPPs would benefit the resolution improvement.Our study of label-free super-resolution imaging of low-contrast objects will promote the applications of microsphere-assisted microscopy in life sciences.     

Gap plasmon-enhanced photoluminescence of monolayer MoS_2 in hybrid nanostructure

Monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides(TMDs) have attracted a lot of attention for their applications in optics and optoelectronics.Molybdenum disulfide(MoS_2),as one of those important materials,has been widely investigated due to its direct band gap and photoluminescence(PL) in visible range.Owing to the fact that the monolayer MoS_2 suffers low light absorption and emission,surface plasmon polaritons(SPPs) are used to enhance both the excitation and emission efficiencies.Here,we demonstrate that the PL of MoS_2 sandwiched between 200-nm-diameter gold nanoparticle(Au NP) and 150-nm-thick gold film is improved by more than 4 times compared with bare MoS_2 sample.This study shows that gap plasmons can possess more optical and optoelectronic applications incorporating with many other emerging two-dimensional materials.     

Electrical characteristics of poly(methylsilsesquioxane) thin films for non-volatile memory

In this communication the electrical characteristics of poly(methylsilsesquioxane) (PMSSQ) thin films and the possibility of charge storage in the Au nanoparticle embedded PMSSQ film base memory element have been studied. PMSSQ films were sandwiched between Al and Si electrodes to fabricate metal-polymer-semiconductor (MPS) structures. The conduction mechanism in PMSSQ films has been investigated. The charge transport mechanism appears to be space charge limited current (SCLC) at the higher-voltage region. Various electrical parameters such as reverse saturation current, barrier height, ideality factor, rectification ratio, shunt and series resistance and charge carrier mobility in PMSSQ have been determined. C-V analysis is performed to confirm the memory effect for Au nanoparticles embedded MPS structures. A definite clockwise hysteresis is observed which indicates the possibility of charge storage in the Au nanoparticles embedded PMSSQ film.     

Two-color laser PEEM imaging of horizontal and vertical components of femtosecond surface plasmon polaritons

Explicit visualization of different components of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) propagating at dielectric/metal interfaces is crucial in offering chances for the detailed design and control of the functionalities of plasmonic nanodevices in the future. Here, we reported independent imaging of the vertical and horizontal components of SPPs launched from a rectangular trench in the gold film by a 400-nm laser-assisted near-infrared (NIR) femtosecond laser time-resolved photoemission electron microscopy (TR-PEEM). The experiments demonstrate that distinct imaging of different components of SPPs field can be easily achieved by introducing the 400-nm laser. It can circumvent the risk of sample damage and information loss of excited SPPs field that is generally confronted in the usual NIR laser TR-PEEM scheme. The underlying mechanism for realizing distinct imaging of different components of the SPPs field with two-color PEEM is revealed via measuring the double logarithmic dependence of photoemission yield with the 800-nm and 400-nm pulse powers of different polarizations. Moreover, it is found that the PEEM image quality of the vertical and horizontal components of the SPPs field is nearly independent of the 400-nm pulse polarization. These results pave a way for SPPs-based applications and offer a possible solution for drawing a space—time field of SPPs in three dimensions.     

GaN基紫光LED的高反射率p型欧姆接触

研究用于GaN基大功率倒装焊(Flip-chip)紫光LED(UV-LED)的高反射率p型欧姆接触的电学和光学性能。用磁控溅射的方法在GaN基LED外延片表面沉积了不同厚度Ag,Al,Au和Pd四种金属,测量了样品的反射率和透射率。结合同步辐射高强度X射线衍射和AFM对金属薄膜的晶体结构进行分析,并对表面形貌进行了观测,对由金属薄膜构成的多层膜结构及其对光反射率的作用机理进行了研究。测量结果表明,在入射光波长为400nm时,Ni/Au/Ag和Ni/Au/Al电极的反射率比Ni/Au的反射率提高了三倍。同时与p-GaN有良好的欧姆接触特性。     

Superconducting proximity effect in the presence of strong spin scattering

We report measurements of the four terminal temperature dependent resistance of narrow Au wires implanted with 100 ppm Fe impurities in proximity to superconducting Al films. The wires show an initial decrease in resistance as the temperature is lowered through the superconducting transition of the Al films, but then show an increase in resistance as the temperature is lowered further. In contrast to the case of pure Au wires in contact with a superconducting film, the resistance at the lowest temperatures rises above the normal state resistance. Analysis of the data shows that, in addition to contributions from magnetic scattering and electron-electron interactions, the temperature dependent resistivity shows a substantial contribution from the superconducting proximity effect, which exists even in the presence of strong spin scattering.     

25 nm resolution single molecular fluorescence imaging by scanning near-field optical/atomic force microscopy

High-resolution single molecular near-field fluorescence images were observed by scanning near-field optical/atomic force microscopy (SNOM/AFM). We modified the SNOM/AFM for both high-resolution fluorescence imaging and high-resolution topographic imaging. The imaged fluorophore, Alexa 532, is prepared with a poly-methyl-methacrylate (PMMA) film coating. A fluorescence resolution of 25 nm was obtained with a simultaneous topographic image of a flat surface. A sample prepared with a lower PMMA concentration exhibited a rough surface in the micro area. The results for the flat surface indicated that the fluorescence resolution is worst in the rough surface sample, that the maximum fluorescence intensities for the individual fluorophore are similar, and that the decay rate is faster. Thus, we concluded that the morphological effect is an important factor in fluorescence image resolution and the apparent lifetimes of the fluorescence molecules.     

TEM studies on the formation of nano crystallites of Si by metal induced crystallization

In the present investigations, we have grown the nano-crystallites of Si by metal induced crystallization process. Layers of two different metals (Al and Au) were deposited on either side of Si using thermal evaporation technique to study metal induced crystallization. Annealing of such samples was carried out in the hot stage of TEM. We have found that the crystallization of amorphous silicon starts at 150 °C through the formation of metal silicides. Formation of metal silicides was observed through selected area diffraction. Nearly complete formation of nano crystallites of Si throughout the sample was observed at 200 °C. High-resolution TEM studies confirm the formation of nano-crystallites of Si all along the film.     

Internal reflection mode scanning near-field optical microscopy with the tetrahedral tip on metallic samples

An internal reflection mode is introduced for scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) with the tetrahedral tip. A beam of light is coupled into the tip and the light specularly reflected out of the tip is detected as a photosignal for SNOM. An auxiliary STM mode is used to control the distance during the scanning process and to record the topography of the sample simultaneously with the SNOM image. Images were obtained of different metallic samples which show a contrast in the order of 10% of the total reflected photosignal. In images of metallic samples an inverted contrast is consistently obtained compared to images previously obtained of comparable samples in a transmission mode. The contrast shows a pronounced dependence on the polarization of the incident beam with respect to the orientation of the edges of the tip. In the case of gold surfaces, the photosignal as a function of distance between the tip and the surface shows a pronounced peak in the near-field range of 0–20 nm which is tentatively attributed to the excitation of surface plasmons on the gold surface. The pronounced near-field effects and the strong contrast in the near-field images and the resolution well below 50 nm are an indication of a highly efficient coupling of the incident beam to a local excitation of the tip apex which is essential for the function of the tip as a probe for SNOM. Received: 17 May 1999 / Accepted: 18 May 1999 / Published online: 21 October 1999     

用扫描近场光学显微镜技术研究金膜表面等离体子共振

表面等离体子波(SPW)可与入射光横磁波极化能量耦合并被共振激发,这种现象被称为表面等离体子共振现象(SPR)。主要利用扫描近场光学显微镜(SNOM)技术和表面等离体子共振现象技术相结合,来研究金膜表面等离体子共振。设计并建立了结构独特的新型Kretschmann型表面等离体子共振现象耦合装置,同时又设计了具有厚度梯度的表面等离体子的制备方法。在此基础上,测量了改变入射角条件下的表面等离体子共振曲线,测得该装置的等离体子共振角灵敏度为1°。并且对金膜表面进行表面等离体子共振条件下的扫描近场光学显微成像。实验结果表明,在共振时金膜表面的扫描成像比不共振时清晰,而且增加了很多细节。应用表面等离体子共振现象技术将可以明显提高扫描近场光学显微镜的信噪比、分辨力等性能。     

Spatial Light Modulator Based on Surface Plasmon Polaritons for Chromatic Display

A spatial light modulator （SLM） based on surface plasmon polaritons （SPPs） that can generate chromatic pattern is demonstrated. The device is composed of a waveguide with a thin silver film and an active material. The simulated results show that the SLM can modulate the intensity of three different wavelengths at the same time and combine a colour picture in the image surface. The SLM also owns the characteristics of high sensitivity, high contrast, fast time response etc. This means that the SLM is promising in the chromatic display.