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Cloaking apertureless near-field scanning optical microscopy tips.

Filiberto Bilotti1, Simone Tricarico, Francesco Pierini

  • 1Roma Tre University, Via della Vasca Navale 84, 00146 Rome, Italy. bilotti@uniroma3.it

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Plasmonic covers enhance near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) by reducing unwanted light scattering from metallic tips. This improves signal-to-noise ratio and image resolution in NSOM systems.

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Area of Science:

  • Optics and Photonics
  • Materials Science
  • Nanotechnology

Background:

  • Near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) relies on apertureless metallic tip probes for high-resolution imaging.
  • Unwanted light scattering from the entire probe, beyond the tip apex, degrades NSOM signal-to-noise ratio and resolution.
  • Plasmonic behavior of metallic tips is crucial for NSOM operation but can also cause detrimental scattering.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To numerically demonstrate the enhancement of NSOM performance using specifically designed plasmonic covers.
  • To investigate the reduction of undesired light scattering from NSOM probes.
  • To improve the signal-to-noise ratio and image resolution in NSOM systems.

Main Methods:

  • Numerical simulations were performed to analyze the effect of plasmonic covers on NSOM probes.
  • A covering material with near-zero real permittivity was designed to minimize scattering.
  • The proposed approach was simulated using a realistic mid-infrared frequency setup with silicon carbide covers.

Main Results:

  • Plasmonic covers effectively reduce undesired light scattering from the NSOM probe body, excluding the tip.
  • The designed covers dramatically decrease scattering due to the tip's plasmonic behavior.
  • Simulations confirmed a significant improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio and potential for enhanced image resolution.

Conclusions:

  • Properly designed plasmonic covers offer a viable strategy for enhancing NSOM performance.
  • This method effectively mitigates scattering issues associated with metallic tip probes in NSOM.
  • The approach holds promise for advancing high-resolution optical microscopy techniques.