Fibre-top atomic force microscope probe with optical near-field detection capabilities

Area of Science:

• Optical physics
• Nanotechnology
• Microscopy

Background:

• Developing advanced probes for high-resolution imaging is crucial.
• Integrating multiple microscopy techniques offers synergistic advantages.
• Optical tunneling and cantilever deflection are key physical phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel fiber-top probe.
• To demonstrate its capability in detecting optical tunneling signals.
• To explore its potential for hybrid microscopy applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a tipped cantilever on an optical fiber, with the tip aligned to the fiber core.
• Utilizing total internal reflection on an optical prism.
• Detecting optical tunneling signals with the probe tip.
• Measuring cantilever deflection via light coupled through the fiber.

Main Results:

• The fiber-top probe successfully detected optical tunneling signals.
• Cantilever deflection was measured concurrently with optical signal detection.
• The probe's design is suitable for integration with optical microscopy.

Conclusions:

• Fiber-top probe technology is a viable platform for new hybrid probes.
• This technology can merge atomic force microscopy and scanning near-field optical microscopy.
• It paves the way for next-generation correlative microscopy tools.