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Simulations of tip‐enhanced optical microscopy reveal atomic resolution
Author(s) -
DOWNES ANDREW,
SALTER DONALD,
ELFICK ALISTAIR
Publication year - 2008
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 - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.2008.01884.x
Subject(s) - radius , optics , materials science , scattering , resolution (logic) , optical microscope , aluminium , near field scanning optical microscope , image resolution , microscopy , near field optics , molecular physics , chemistry , physics , scanning electron microscope , computer security , artificial intelligence , computer science , metallurgy
Summary We have performed finite element electromagnetic analysis of ‘apertureless’ scanning near‐field optical microscope tips. A variety of radii was considered, from 40 nm down to 1 nm, and the enhancement of optical scattering from the region beneath the probe apex was modelled in air and water. We observed sizeable spectral shifts when the radius decreases, together with a surprising increase in the amount of scattering from small tips. The lateral resolution is considered, which is shown to be always smaller than the tip radius, and for 1‐nm‐radius tips can allow atomic resolution imaging with sufficient optical enhancement. Gold, silver, copper and aluminium were modelled as tip materials.