Open AccessNear field behavior of SnO_2 particle-layer deposited on standard optical fiber by electrostatic spray pyrolysis method
Author(s) -
A. Cusano,
P. Pilla,
M. Consales,
Marco Pisco,
A. Cutolo,
A. Buosciolo,
M. Giordano
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.15.005136
Subject(s) - materials science , near field scanning optical microscope , optical fiber , optical microscope , optics , fiber , particle (ecology) , substrate (aquarium) , microscopy , near and far field , optoelectronics , scanning electron microscope , composite material , oceanography , physics , geology
We report the emergent optical near field profiles from standard single mode optical fibers on the cleaved end of which were deposited particle layers of SnO(2). The layers, composed of micron and sub-micron sized particles, were deposited by means of Electrostatic Spray Pyrolysis (ESP) technique. Powerful analytical tools such as Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Near-field Optical Microscopy (SNOM) were used to obtain simultaneously the SnO(2) layers topography and the related optical near field intensity distribution, when the fiber-substrate is illuminated by a light radiation in NIR range. We show that isolated microstructures, positioned in correspondence of the fiber core, reveal highly unusual capability of locally enhancing the collected optical near field. The observed phenomenon leads to new concepts of fiber optic chemical sensors and in fiber microsystems as well.