Open AccessPolarization and detection angle dependence of interferometric imaging with scattering near-field scanning optical microscope
Author(s) -
Cheng Liu,
Seung Han Park
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/opex.12.006341
Subject(s) - optics , interferometry , polarization (electrochemistry) , near field scanning optical microscope , scattering , physics , near and far field , detector , optical axis , microscope , light scattering , circular polarization , materials science , optical microscope , scanning electron microscope , chemistry , lens (geology) , microstrip
Polarized images generated by the scattering near-field scanning optical microscopic interferometer were numerically studied by modeling the interferometer as a coupled point-dipole system. It was shown that, for a given specimen, the resolution of the near-field intensity and phase images were strongly dependent on both the polarization-direction of the reference light and the position of the far-field detector, revealing the strong polarization dependence of the near-field images. In the case of evanescent illumination, highly accurate images could be realized only when the detector was placed at a large enough view angle with the specimen and the reference light was polarized in the detecting-plane, which is vertical to the sample plane and contains both the detection point and the probe-tip.