Issue 1/2: Near-field Optics: Generality in Super-Resolution Imaging in 3D (2014)

Tip enhanced Raman scattering: plasmonic enhancements for nanoscale chemical analysis

Tip enhanced Raman scattering: plasmonic enhancements for nanoscale chemical analysis

Tip enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) is an emerging technique that uses a metalized scanning probe microscope tip to spatially localize electric fields that enhances Raman scattering enabling chemical imaging on nanometer dimensions. Arising from the same …

Photoconductive NSOM for mapping optoelectronic phases in nanostructures

Photoconductive NSOM for mapping optoelectronic phases in nanostructures

The advent of optically functional materials with low-intensive processing methods is accompanied by a growing need for high resolution imaging to probe the inherent inhomogeneities in the underlying microstructure. Atomic force microscopy based techniques …

Integrating electron and near-field optics: dual vision for the nanoworld

Integrating electron and near-field optics: dual vision for the nanoworld

The integration of near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) with the imaging and localized excitation capabilities of electrons in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) offers new capabilities for the observation of highly resolved transport phenomena in …

Optical and electrical mappings of surface plasmon cavity modes

Optical and electrical mappings of surface plasmon cavity modes

Plasmonics is a rapidly expanding field, founded in physics but now with a growing number of applications in biology (biosensing), nanophotonics, photovoltaics, optical engineering and advanced information technology. Appearing as charge density oscillations …

Nonlinear spectroscopy in the near-field: time resolved spectroscopy and subwavelength resolution non-invasive imaging

Nonlinear spectroscopy in the near-field: time resolved spectroscopy and subwavelength resolution non-invasive imaging

The combination of near-field microscopy along with nonlinear optical spectroscopic techniques is presented here. The scanning near-field imaging technique can be integrated with nonlinear spectroscopic techniques to improve spatial and axial resolution of …

Nanophotonics of protein amyloids

Nanophotonics of protein amyloids

Technological breakthroughs in the super-resolution optical imaging techniques have enriched our current understanding of a range of biological systems and biomolecular processes at the nanoscopic spatial resolution. Protein amyloids are an important class of …

Optically induced forces in scanning probe microscopy

Optically induced forces in scanning probe microscopy

Typical measurements of light in the near-field utilize a photodetector such as a photomultiplier tube or a photodiode, which is placed remotely from the region under test. This kind of detection has many draw-backs including the necessity to detect light in …

Editorial

Editorial

In this special issue on “The optical near-field: super-resolution imaging with structure and phase correlation” in Nanophotonics the invited authors and myself present an overview on the developments in this field from the point of view of …

The optical near-field: super-resolution imaging with structural and phase correlation

The optical near-field: super-resolution imaging with structural and phase correlation

An overview of near-field optics is presented with a focus on the fundamental advances that have been made in the field since its inception 30 years ago. A focus is placed on the advancements that have been achieved in instrumentation. These advances have led …

Multiprobe NSOM fluorescence

Multiprobe NSOM fluorescence

In this paper, we demonstrate simultaneous AFM/NSOM using a dual-tip normal tuning-fork based scanning probe microscope. By scanning two SPM probes simultaneously, one dedicated for AFM with a standard tip diameter of 20 nm, and the second having a 150 nm …