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Apertureless near‐field optical microscopy via local second‐harmonic generation
Author(s) -
Zayats A. V.,
Sandoghdar V.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2818.2001.00810.x
Subject(s) - near field scanning optical microscope , optics , second harmonic imaging microscopy , materials science , optical microscope , polarization (electrochemistry) , second harmonic generation , microscopy , excitation , near and far field , surface second harmonic generation , harmonic , physics , scanning electron microscope , chemistry , acoustics , laser , quantum mechanics
We describe an apertureless scanning near‐field optical microscope (SNOM) based on the local second‐harmonic generation enhancement resulting from an electromagnetic interaction between a probe tip and a surface. The imaging mechanisms of such apertureless second‐harmonic SNOM are numerically studied. The technique allows one to achieve strongly confined sources of second‐harmonic light at the probe tip apex and/or surface area under the tip. First experimental realization of this technique has been carried out using a silver‐coated fibre tip as a probe. The experiments reveal a strong influence of the tip–surface interaction as well as polarization of the excitation light on images obtained with apertureless second‐harmonic SNOM. The technique can be useful for studying the localized electromagnetic excitations on surfaces as well as for visualization of lateral variations of linear and nonlinear optical properties of surfaces.