Open AccessPhotoresponsive polymers for topographic simulation of the optical near-field of a nanometer sized gold tip in a highly focused laser beam
Author(s) -
Yann Gilbert,
Renaud Bachelot,
Alexandre Vial,
Gilles Lérondel,
Pascal Royer,
Alexandre Bouhélier,
Gary P. Wiederrecht
Publication year - 2005
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.13.003619
Subject(s) - materials science , optics , polymer , azobenzene , nanometre , diffraction , near field scanning optical microscope , near field optics , laser , microscopy , nanoscopic scale , near and far field , optical microscope , nanotechnology , scanning electron microscope , physics , composite material
The local perturbation of a diffraction-limited spot by a nanometer sized gold tip in a popular apertureless scanning near-field optical microscopy (ASNOM) configuration is reproduced through topography changes in a photoresponsive polymer. Our method relies on the observation of the photochemical migration of azobenzene molecules grafted to a polymer placed beneath the tip. A local molecular displacement has been shown to be activated by a gold tip as a consequence of the lateral surface charge density present at the edges of the tip's end, resulting from a strong near-field depolarization predicted by theory.