Two-Dimensional Near-Field Optical Spectroscopy in Magnetic Fields up to 4 T

We have developed a magnetic-field-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) system, which enables us to obtain two-dimensional near-field images under magnetic fields up to 4 T. We have performed two-dimensional near-field scanning optical spectroscopy on (Cd,Mn) Te self-assembled quantum dots with this system.     

SETUP AND APPLICATION OF SCANNING NEAR-FIELD OPTICAL MICROSCOPY

The research on the setup and application of scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) performed in our laboratory is reviewed in this report. We have constructed a versatile low temperature scanning near-field optical microscope with the capability of near-field imaging and spectroscopy, operating at liquid nitrogen temperature. A special designed coaxial double lens was used to introduce the illumination beam through a 200μm fiber; the detected optical signal was transmitted via a fiber tip to an avalanche photon detector. The performance test shows the stability of the new design. The shear force image and optical image of a standard sample are shown. A system of SNOM working at room temperature and atmosphere was used to characterize semiconductors and bio-molecular samples. It revealed the unique features of semiconductor microdisks in the near-field that is significantly different from that of far-field. The effects of different geographic microstructures on the near-field light distribution of InGaP, GaN, and InGaN multi-quantum-well microdisk were observed.     

Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy and Microspectroscopy of Green Fluorescent Protein in Intact Escherichia coli Bacteria

Scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) yields high-resolution topographic and optical information and constitutes an important new technique for visualizing biological systems. By coupling a spectrograph to a near-field microscope, we have been able to perform microspectroscopic measurements with a spatial resolution greatly exceeding that of the conventional optical microscope. Here we present SNOM images of Escherichia coli bacteria expressing a mutant green fluorescent protein (GFP), an important reporter molecule in cell, developmental, and molecular biology. Near-field emission spectra confirm that the fluorescence detected by SNOM arises from bacterially expressed GFP molecules.     

Use of a scanning near-field optical microscope architecture to study fluorescence and energy transfer near a metal

Fluorescence intensity depends strongly on the distance between the emitting molecule and a metallic interface. We show that a scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) is a simple and versatile tool for studying such an effect. The fluorescent molecules are embedded in a layer upon a silica substrate, and metal is coated on the SNOM tip. We present variations of fluorescence intensity versus tip-sample distance from 800 to ~80 nm . A simple model is used to explain the experimental results. The proposed setup could be used to study nonradiative transfer at a nanometric scale. It could also yield to a new type of optical near-field profiler that uses fluorescent signal.     

飞秒时间分辨近场光学系统实现及其应用

结合飞秒光脉冲和近场光学显微镜，成功实现了飞秒时间分辨近场光学系统.系统通过高频声光调制和差频锁相探测，极大提高了信噪比并消除了抽运、探测光本底信号，从而在收集模式下测得了飞秒时间分辨的透射光微弱信号变化.同时获得了80nm的空间分辨和小于200fs的时间分辨测量.利用该实验系统，研究了金纳米结构的热电子弛豫动力学过程，观察到不同位置间热电子弛豫动力学的差异. 关键词： 飞秒近场 扫描近场光学显微镜 飞秒光脉冲 金纳米颗粒     

Nano-optical image and probe in a scanning near-field optical microscope

We study a nanometer-sized optical probe and image in a scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM). We demonstrated the potential to observe 5-nm wide optical patterns using the SNOM. The probe profile was measured by using a knife-edge method and a modulated transfer function evaluation method. An aluminum covered and pipet-pulled fiber probe used here has two optical probes, one which has a large diameter of 350 nm and one which has a small diameter of around 10 nm.     

SNOM Observations of Surface Plasmon Polaritons on Metal Heterostructures

We observe surface plasmon polariton （SPP） refraction on a metal heterostructured sample with a scattered-type scanning near-field optical microscope （SNOM）. The sample consists of AI and Au in-plane whose boundary is smooth enough with proper etching time. SPPs excited on the AI film travel to the boundary and a portion of SPPs propagates into the Au film. In addition, interference fringes appear in the SNOM image bent at the boundary. The result is analysed with effective index method and the refracted angle is explained by Shell＇s law.     

Optical polarization response at gold nanosheet edges probed by scanning near-field optical microscopy

Optical properties of metallic edge-like structures known as knife-edges are a topic of interest and possess potential applications in enhanced Raman scattering, optical trapping, etc. In this work, we investigate the near-field optical polarization response at the edge of a triangular gold nanosheet, which is synthesized by a wet chemical method. A homemade scanning near-field optical microscope(SNOM) in collection mode is adopted, which is able to accurately locate its probe at the edge during experiments. An uncoated straight fiber probe is used in the SNOM, because it still preserves the property of light polarization though it has the depolarization to some extent. By comparing near-field intensities at the edge and glass substrate, detected in different polarization directions of incident light, the edge-induced depolarization is found,which is supported by the finite differential time domain(FDTD) simulated results. The depolarized phenomenon in the near-field is similar to that in the far-field.     

Sensitivity analysis of scanning near-field optical microscope probe

In this paper, we study the dynamic modes of a scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) which uses an optical fiber probe; and the sensitivity of flexural and axial vibration modes for the probe were derived and the closed-form expressions were obtained. According to the analysis, as expected each mode has a different sensitivity and the first mode is the most sensitive mode of flexural and axial vibration for the SNOM probe. The sensitivities of both flexural and axial modes are greater for a material surface that is compliant with the cantilever probe. As the contact stiffness increases, the high-order vibration modes are more sensitive than the lower-order modes. Furthermore, the axial contact stiffness has a significant effect on the sensitivity of the SNOM probe, and this should be noted when designing new cantilever probes.     

Scanning near-field optical images of ordered polystyrene particle layers in transmission and luminescence excitation modes

Scanning near-field optical images of hexagonally close-packed layers of polystyrene spherical particles with a diameter of 1.0 microm have been investigated. The layers were composed of particles that were doped either totally or partially with an organic fluorescent dye. Observations were made in the transmission and luminescence excitation modes with a scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) with a spatial resolution shorter than the wavelength of light. The patterns observed in the SNOM images are significantly dependent on the microstructures of layers, that is, the layers are either single or double layered, and the particles are either totally or partially doped. These results are discussed in terms of specific modes of electromagnetic waves transmitting across and along the layers after the local excitation at the tip end of the scanning microprobe.     

Experimental Research on Focusing Property of Radially Polarized Beam Based on Solid Immersion Lens

Realization of a near-field optical virtual probe based on an evanescent Bessel beam is strongly dependent on a radially polarized beam; this makes it essential to study the focusing property of the beam. In this paper, two experimental setups based on a fiber device and a liquid crystal device, respectively, are built to generate a radially polarized beam. This beam and an annular radially polarized beam are focused by means of a high numerical aperture objective and a solid immersion lens (SIL). Near-field distribution of the focus spot, the evanescent Bessel field, is experimentally measured with a scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM). The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the central peak of the evanescent Bessel field is about 200 nm in the close vicinity of the bottom surface of SIL. This has potential for use as a near-field optical virtual probe.     

Scanning near-field optical microscopy-based study of local dynamics of receptor-ligand interactions at the single molecule level

A scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM)—based modification of the method to study the dynamics of single molecule receptor—ligand interactions exploiting the fluorescence imaging by total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy is introduced. The main advantage of this approach consists in the possibility to study the single molecule interaction dynamics with a subwavelength spatial resolution and a submillisecond time resolution. Additionally, due to the much smaller irradiation area and some other technical features, such a modification enables to enlarge the scope of the receptor—ligand pairs to be investigated and to improve the temporal resolution. We briefly discuss corresponding experimental set up with a special accent on the SNOM operation in liquid and present some preliminary results of related investigations.     

Scanning near-field optical/atomic force microscopy for fluorescence imaging and spectroscopy of biomaterials in air and liquid: Observation of recombinantEscherichia coli with gene coding to green fluorescent protein

We have developed a system of scanning near-field optical/atomic force microscopy (SNOM/AFM) for fluorescence imaging and spectroscopy of biomaterials in air and liquid. SNOM/AFM uses a bent optical fiber simultaneously as a dynamic force AFM cantilever and a SNOM probe. Optical resolution of SNOM images shows about 50 nm in an illumination mode for a standard sample of a patterned chromium layer of 20 nm thickness on a quartz glass plate. The SNOM/AFM system contains a photon counting system and polychrometer/ICCD (intensified charge coupled device) system for observation of the fluorescence image and spectrograph of micro areas, respectively. The gene coding to green fluorescence protein (GFP) was cloned in recombinantEscherichia coli (E. coli). Topography, fluorescence image and spectrograph of recombinantE. coli by SNOM/AFM showed a difference in fluorescence in individualE. coli. Fluorescence activity of GFP can thus be used as a convenient indicator of transformation. SNOM/AFM is also applicable to observe immobilizedE. coli on a glass plate in water with a liquid chamber and may allow the viewing of observation of floating organisms.     

The preparation of optical fibre nanoprobe and its application in spectral detection

As an important component of scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM), optical fibre nanoprobe has been applied to many fields extensively. A melt-stretched etching method is proposed to produce optical fibre nanoprobe with low cost. Firstly, optical fibre tip with micrometer-sized diameter is created by the melt-stretched measure. Next, it is dipped into hydrofluoric acid (HF), and a fine optical fibre nanoprobe will be made after a short-time etching. Owing to the taper structure of tip, it can be etched again in acid if a nanoprobe is not constructed when the first etching is completed. In addition, optical fibre nanoprobe is applied to spectral investigation, and the fluorescence spectroscopy of rhodamine B (Rh B) solution is collected by an optical investigation system with a bifurcated fibre.     

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.     

A novel phase-sensitive scanning near-field optical microscope

Phase is one of the most important parameters of electromagnetic waves. It is the phase distribution that determines the propagation, reflection, refraction, focusing, divergence, and coupling features of light, and further affects the intensity distribution. In recent years, the designs of surface plasmon polariton(SPP) devices have mostly been based on the phase modulation and manipulation. Here we demonstrate a phase sensitive multi-parameter heterodyne scanning near-field optical microscope(SNOM) with an aperture probe in the visible range, with which the near field optical phase and amplitude distributions can be simultaneously obtained. A novel architecture combining a spatial optical path and a fiber optical path is employed for stability and flexibility. Two kinds of typical nano-photonic devices are tested with the system. With the phase-sensitive SNOM, the phase and amplitude distributions of any nano-optical field and localized field generated with any SPP nano-structures and irregular phase modulation surfaces can be investigated. The phase distribution and the interference pattern will help us to gain a better understanding of how light interacts with SPP structures and how SPP waves generate, localize, convert, and propagate on an SPP surface. This will be a significant guidance on SPP nano-structure design and optimization.     

A Monatomic Optical Near-Field Microscope with Subnanometer Spatial Resolution

We propose the principle of operation of an optical near-field microscope on the basis of linear steady-state optical dimensional resonances in the system atom-probe–atoms of the sample. It is shown that such a microscope has high sensitivity and a spatial resolution of less than 1 nm and does not set limits on the choice of samples. The distribution of the optical fields in the wave and near zones in the near-field microscope at frequencies close to the optical dimensional resonances arising as a result of dipole-dipole interactions of atoms at small distances has been investigated. The optical scheme of the monatomic near-field microscope is presented.     

Optical near-field mapping of bright and dark quantum dot states

We theoretically investigate scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) of semiconductor quantum dots. A general theoretical framework is developed that accounts for photo excitation and relaxation in complex dielectric environments. We find that in the near-field regime bright and dark excitonic states become mixed, opening new channels for the coupling to the electromagnetic field.     

Fluorescence spectra of colloidal self-assembled CdSe nano-wire on substrate of porous Al_2O_3/Au nanoparticles

We present a self-assembly method to prepare array nano-wires of colloidal CdSe quantum dots on a substrate of porous Al_2 O_3 film modified by gold nanoparticles. The photoluminescence(PL) spectra of nanowires are in situ measured by using a scanning near-field optical microscopy(SNOM) probe tip with 100-nm aperture on the scanning near-field optical microscope. The results show that the binding sites from the edge of porous Al_2 O_3 nanopores are combined with the carboxyl of CdSe quantum dots' surface to form an array of CdSe nanowires in the process of losing background solvent because of the gold nanoparticles filling the nano-holes of porous Al_2 O_3 film. Compared with the area of nonself-assembled nano-wire, the fluorescence on the Al_2 O_3/Au/CdSe interface is significantly enhanced in the self-assembly nano-wire regions due to the electron transfer conductor effect of the gold nanoparticles' surface. In addition, its full width at half maximum(FWHM) is also obviously widened. The method of enhancing fluorescence and energy transfer can widely be applied to photodetector, photocatalysis, optical display, optical sensing, and biomedical imaging, and so on.