A functional probe with bowtie aperture and bull's eye structure for nanolithograph

The bowtie aperture surrounded by concentric gratings(the bull’s eye structure) integrated on the near-field scanning optical microscopy(NSOM) probe(aluminum coated fiber tip) for nanolithography has been investigated using the finite-difference time domain(FDTD) method.By modifying the parameters of the bowtie aperture and the concentric gratings,a maximal field enhancement factor of 391.69 has been achieved,which is 18 times larger than that obtained from the single bowtie aperture.Additionally,the light spot depends on the gap size of the bowtie aperture and can be confined to sub-wavelength.The superiority of the combination of the bowtie aperture and the bull’s eye structure is confirmed,and the mechanism for the electric field enhancement in this derived structure is analyzed.     

Spectral resonance of nanoscale bowtie apertures in visible wavelength

We report spectroscopic measurements of transmitted field through bowtie-shaped nanoscale apertures in visible wavelength region. Resonance in these apertures and its relation with the aperture geometry are investigated. The near-field spectral response is also investigated using finite difference time domain (FDTD) computation and compared with the spectroscopic measurements. The dependences of the peak wavelength and peak amplitude on the geometry of the bowtie aperture are illustrated. Design rules are proposed to optimize the bowtie aperture for producing a sub-wavelength, high transmission field. PACS 81.07.-b; 07.79.Fc; 71.36.+c; 78.66Bz; 42.79.Gn; 42.79.Vb     

Investigation of plasmonics resonance infrared bowtie metal antenna

An approximate resonance wavelength equation that varies with metal antenna structure size is developed to design a bowtie gold metal antenna working at near-infrared (IR) wavelength. Bowtie antenna structures with resonance wavelength of 1.06 μm, 1.55 μm and 10.6 μm are designed based on this equation. A finite-difference time domain (FDTD) algorithm with total field scattered field (TFSF) source simulation shows the resonance wavelength of the designed structures being precisely in agreement with the expected wavelengths from the equation. Planar integration of the metal bowtie antennas is discussed as well. Gold nanohole bowtie antenna arrays are fabricated and the near-field optical transmission properties of the nanohole array are investigated with a near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM). Our experimental results verify the near-field optical transmission performance and further demonstrate that they are in agreement with the theoretical calculation results. The high enhancement efficiency and integration of the metal bowtie antennas open the possibility of a wide application in IR optoelectronics detection and imaging.     

Complementary bowtie aperture for localizing and enhancing optical magnetic field

Nanoscale bowtie antenna and bowtie aperture antenna have been shown to generate strongly enhanced and localized electric fields below the diffraction limit in the optical frequency range. According to Babinet's principle, their complements will be efficient for concentrating and enhancing magnetic fields. In this Letter, we discuss the enhancement of magnetic field intensity of nanoscale complementary bowtie aperture as well as complementary bowtie aperture antenna, or diabolo nanoantenna. We show that the complementary bowtie antenna resonates at a smaller wavelength and thus is more suitable for applications near visible wavelengths. The near-field magnetic intensity can be further enhanced by the addition of groove structures that scatter surface plasmon.     

Nano-manipulation performance with enhanced evanescent field close to near-field optical probes

Recently, interest in nano-manipulation using the evanescent wave generated by nano-objects has been growing, but the analyses of manipulation flexibility and performance haven't been solved. In this paper the near-field optical trap utilizing a tapered metalized probe used in NSOM is described in detail. By employing a generalization of the conservation law for momentum using three-dimensional FDTD method, rigorous calculations of field distributions and trapping forces in near-field region are conducted. Calculations show that the particle with radius larger than the aperture is pushed away from the metal-coated fiber probe, while it tends to be trapped in larger effective region as its radius becoming smaller. The particle that is placed very near the aperture and around two field peaks intends to be dragged to the aperture edge, while the particle placed at other position tends to be attracted to the center surface of the probe tip. Furthermore, a preferable method using the combination of the near-field optical fiber probe and the AFM metallic probe is proposed, for more efficient non-contact manipulation and better observation of one single nano-particle. The analyses of trapping potential along the probe axis and the near-field distribution show the possibility of particle trapping.     

Near-field microscopy with a single-photon point-like emitter: Resolution versus the aperture tip?

We discuss theoretically the concept of spatial resolution in near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) in light of a recent work [Opt. Express 17 (2009) 19969] which reported on the achievement of active tips made of a single ultrasmall fluorescent nanodiamond grafted onto the apex of a substrate tip and on their validation in NSOM imaging. Since fluorescent nanodiamonds tend to decrease steadily in size, we assimilate a nanodiamond-based tip to a point-like single photon source and compare its ultimate resolution with that offered by standard metal-coated aperture NSOM tips. We demonstrate both classically and quantum mechanically that NSOM based on a point-like tip has a resolving power that is only limited by the scan height over the imaged system whereas the aperture-tip resolution depends critically on both the scan height and aperture diameter. This is a consequence of the complex distribution of the electromagnetic field around the aperture that tends to artificially duplicate the imaged objects. We show that the point-like tip does not suffer from this “squint” and that it rapidly approaches its ultimate resolution in the near-field as soon as its scan height falls below the distance between the two nano-objects to be resolved.     

Imaging contrast under aperture tip–nanoantenna array interaction

Periodic arrays of paired and single gold nanorods were imaged in the near field using reflection and transmission modes of a near-field scanning optical microscope at various wavelengths and polarizations of light in the visible range. The paired nanorods act like nanoantenna, and an array of them was initially designed as a negative-index material for the near infrared. Reverse contrast in reflection and transmission images is observed under illumination from the small aperture of a metal-coated fiber probe. By changing the relative orientation of the rods to the polarization, the reverse contrast switches to the normal contrast of near-field imaging. Coupling between the aperture and the nanorod array makes the contrast higher. Transmission through the aperture is enhanced if the aperture probe is positioned between the nanorods. The average near-field transmission exhibits an opposite sign of anisotropy relative to the far-field case. Aperture probes with larger diameters always show normal imaging contrast. The results demonstrate that the broad angular spectra of small-aperture sources play a crucial role in near-field interactions with nanorod arrays. The results also show that angular redistributions of these spectra after transmission or reflection from the nanorod array are likely due to excitation of localized and propagating plasmons.     

Recent progress of nano-technology with NSOM

Recent progress of nano-technology with near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM) is surveyed in this article. We focus mainly on NSOM, nano-scale spectroscopy with NSOM, probe technology of NSOM, and study of nano-structured metallic surface with NSOM. First, we follow developments of aperture NSOM and apertureless NSOM, and then address progress of NSOM-combined spectroscopy which is so sufficiently advanced with apertureless NSOM technology to provide chemical information on length scales of a few nanometers. Recent achievement of nano-scale Raman and IR spectroscopy will be introduced. Finally, research on nano-optic elements using surface plasmon polariton with NSOM is introduced as an example of NSOM applications to nano-structured metallic surfaces.     

Multiaspect Aperture Synthesis

A novel kind of aperture synthesis, called the multiaspect aperture synthesis, is proposed for far-field reconstruction of a moving noise source from near-field measurements by a receiving array of finite length comparable with the source length. This kind of aperture synthesis is based on certain characteristics of the near-field spatial correlation function which is sensitive to the current locations of the source and the receiving system. The statistical characteristics of the reconstructed far-field pattern, as well as the effects of noise spectral power density bandwidth and the source velocity on the reconstructed source characteristics are studied. The corresponding numerical simulations are performed.     

10 nm Spatial Resolution Fluorescence Imaging of Single Molecules by Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy Using a Tiny Aperture Probe

We demonstrate high-resolution fluorescence imaging of single molecules using near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) with a tiny aperture probe for two different wavelengths in visible range in the illumination mode of operation. The spatial resolutions obtained at both excitation wavelengths were almost the same and the highest resolution realized was about 10 nm. To discuss the achievable resolution in aperture NSOM, we also employed a computer simulation by the finite-difference time-domain method for various aperture sizes and wavelengths. The resolution of 10 nm is predicted to be contributed by the single peak of localized near-field light around the rim of the aperture.     

Observation of the wave function of a quantum billiard from the transverse patterns of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers

We demonstrate experimentally that the near-field and far-field transverse patterns of a large aperture vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) can be successfully interpreted as a two-dimensional (2D) billiard system. It is found that the near-field and far-field transverse patterns of a large aperture VCSEL evidently represent the coordinate-space and momentum-space wave functions of a 2D quantum billiard, respectively. The result of this paper suggests that large aperture VCSELs are potentially appropriate physical systems for the wave-function study in quantum problems.     

Plasmonic effects in near-field optical transmission enhancement through a single bowtie-shaped aperture

In this paper, the enhanced optical transmission through a special type of aperture of a bowtie shape is investigated through near-field imaging and finite-difference numerical analysis. Under linear polarizations in two orthogonal directions, the optical near fields of the bowtie aperture and comparable square and rectangular apertures made in gold and chromium thin films are measured and compared. The bowtie aperture is able to provide a nanometer-sized optical spot when the incident light is polarized across the bowtie gap and delivers a considerable amount of light. Localized surface plasmons are clearly observed in the near-field images for both bowtie and rectangular apertures in gold, but invisible in chromium. Finite-difference time-domain calculations reveal that, depending on the polarization of the incident light, the unique optical properties of the bowtie aperture are a result of either the optical waveguide and the coupled surface plasmon polariton modes existing in the bowtie gap or the coupling between the two open arms of the bowtie aperture. PACS 81.07.-b; 07.79.Fc; 71.36.+c; 78.66.Bz; 42.79.Gn; 42.79.Vb     

High-intensity bowtie-shaped nano-aperture vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser for near-field optics

We report a high-intensity nano-aperture vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) utilizing a bowtie-shaped aperture. A maximum power of 188 microW is achieved from a 180 nm bowtie aperture at a wavelength of 970 nm. The near-field full width at half-maximum intensity spot size 20 nm away from the bowtie aperture is 64 nm x 66 nm from simulation, and the peak near-field intensity is estimated to be as high as 47 mW/microm(2). This intensity is high enough to realize near-field optical recording, and the small spot size corresponds to storage densities up to 150 Gbits/in(2). The bowtie-aperture VCSEL also enables other applications, such as compact high-intensity probes for ultrahigh-resolution near-field imaging and single molecule fluorescence and spectroscopy.     

基于光导微探针的近场/远场可扫描太赫兹光谱技术

太赫兹技术已经成为涉及公共安全、军事国防和国民经济等国家核心利益的前沿研究领域.以往太赫兹测量技术中通常以远场测量为主,如常用的太赫兹时域光谱仪.近年来太赫兹近场技术得到了迅猛的发展,特别是基于光导天线的探针技术的发展,为可扫描的太赫兹近场测量提供了可能.本文详细报道了我们近期在可扫描太赫兹近场光谱仪研究中的进展.采用光纤耦合的光导微探针实现了方便灵活的太赫兹近场/远场三维扫描,并同时获得振幅和相位信息.该系统将有可能广泛应用于人工微结构、石墨烯、表面等离子激元、波导传输、近场成像、生物样品检测、芯片检测等研究领域.     

Optimizing bowtie structure parameters for specific incident light

We investigate optical properties of a bowtie-shaped aperture using the finite difference time domain method to optimize its geometric parameters for specific incident lights.The influence of the parameters on local field enhancement and resonant wavelength in the visible frequency range is numerically analysed.It is found that the major resonance of the spectrum is exponentially depended on the bowtie angle but independent of the whole aperture size.The simulation also demonstrates that increasing the aperture size raises the local field intensity on the exit plane due to an enlarged interaction area between the light and the metal medium.And the near-field spot size is closely related to the gap.Based on these results,the design rules of the bowtie structure can be optimized for specific wavelengths excited.     

Super-transmission of light through subwavelength annular aperture arrays in metallic films: Spectral analysis and near-field optical images in the visible range

This paper presents experimental studies of the enhanced light transmission through metallic films pierced by subwavelength annular apertures. Two different methods (e-beam lithography and focused ion beam) have been used to build the nano-structures. We have experimentally recorded their far-field spectral response in the visible range and the optical near-field above the nano-structures when they are excited at 633 nm. The spectral response exhibits a transmission peak at 700 nm with maximum efficiency around 16%. The near-field exhibits a characteristic two-lobe structure just above the aperture. Finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulations reproduce quite well the experimental results.     

Impact of process parameters on pattern formation in the maskless plasmonic computational lithography

The extraordinary optical transmission through a sub-wavelength size metal-aperture and metamaterials has been tremendous interests for the untilization of the surface plasmon polariton (SPP). Its technology, however, is hard to apply for the optical lithography process. In this study, a maskless plasmonic lithography (MPL) is modeled and simulated for 15-nm critical dimension (CD). The near-field intensity with the plasmonic phenomena of aperture shapes is described due to aperture parameters by using a scattering matrix (S-matrix) analysis method and the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. MPL parameters of bowtie structures are optimized and improved for the imperfection of the resist pattern. The most dominant parameter on CD is gap size of bowtie by Taguchi method.     

Scattering on plasmonic nanostructures arrays modeled with a surface integral formulation

The surface integral formulation is a flexible, multiscale and accurate tool to simulate light scattering on nanostructures. Its generalization to periodic arrays is introduced in this paper. The general electromagnetic scattering problem is reduced to a discretizated model using the Method of Moments on the surface of the scatterers in the unit cell. The study of the resonances of an array of bowtie antennas illustrates the main features of the method. When placed into an array, the bowtie antennas show additional resonances compared to those of an individual antenna. Using the surface integral formulation, we are able to investigate both near-field and far-field properties of these resonances, with a high level of accuracy.     

Nanolithography using high transmission nanoscale ridge aperture probe

Nanoscale ridge apertures provide a highly confined radiation spot with a high transmission efficiency when used in the near field approach. The radiation confinement and enhancement is due to the electric–magnetic field concentrated in the gap between the ridges. This paper reports the experimental demonstration of radiation enhancement using such antenna apertures and lithography of nanometer size structures. The process utilizes a NSOM (near field scanning optical microscopy) probe with a ridge aperture at the tip, and it combines the nonlinear two photon effect from femtosecond laser irradiation to achieve sub-diffraction limit lithography resolution.     

Surface plasmon mediated near-field imaging and optical addressing in nanoscience

We present an overview of recent progress in "plasmonics". We focus our study on the observation and excitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) with optical near-field microscopy. We discuss in particular recent applications of photon scanning tunnelling microscope (PSTM) for imaging of SPP propagating in metal and dielectric wave guides. We show how near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) can be used to optically and actively address remote nano objects such as quantum dots. Additionally we compare results obtained with near-field microcopy to those obtained with other optical far-field methods of analysis such as leakage radiation microscopy (LRM).