High definition aperture probes for near-field optical microscopy fabricated by focused ion beam milling

Veerman, J.A. and Otter, A.M. and Kuipers, L. and Hulst van, N.F. (1998) High definition aperture probes for near-field optical microscopy fabricated by focused ion beam milling. Applied Physics Letters, 72 (24). pp. 3115-3117. ISSN 0003-6951

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Abstract:	We have improved the optical characteristics of aluminum-coated fiber probes used in near-field scanning optical microscopy by milling with a focused ion beam. This treatment produces a flat-end face free of aluminum grains, containing a well- defined circularly-symmetric aperture with controllable diameter down to 20 nm. The polarization behavior of the tips is circularly symmetric with a polarization ratio exceeding 1:100. The improved imaging characteristics are demonstrated by measuring single molecule fluorescence. Count rates increase more than one order of magnitude over unmodified probes, and the molecule images map a spatial electric field distribution of the aperture in agreement with calculations. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.
Item Type:	Article
Copyright:	© 1998 American Institute of Physics
Research Group:	Optical Sciences (OS)
Link to this item:	http://purl.utwente.nl/publications/23817
Official URL:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.121564
Publisher URL:	http://link.aip.org/link/?APPLAB/72/3115/1
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