Widely tuneable scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy using pulsed quantum cascade lasers
Abstract
We demonstrate the use of a pulsed quantum cascade laser, wavelength tuneable between 6 and 10 μm, with a scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscope (s-SNOM). A simple method for calculating the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the s-SNOM measurement is presented. For pulsed lasers, the SNR is shown to be highly dependent on the degree of synchronization between the laser pulse and the sampling circuitry; in measurements on a gold sample, the SNR is 26 with good synchronization and less than 1 without. Simulations and experimental s-SNOM images, with a resolution of 100 nm, corresponding to λ/80, and an acquisition time of less than 90 s, are presented as proof of concept. They show the change in the field profile of plasmon-resonant broadband antennas when they are excited with wavelengths of 7.9 and 9.5 μm.
- Authors:
-
- The Blackett Laboratory, Department of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)
- Optical and Semiconductor Devices Group, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BT (United Kingdom)
- Publication Date:
- OSTI Identifier:
- 22254003
- Resource Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal Name:
- Applied Physics Letters
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 103; Journal Issue: 21; Other Information: (c) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0003-6951
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; ANTENNAS; GOLD; IMAGES; LASERS; OPTICAL MICROSCOPES; OPTICAL MICROSCOPY; PULSES; RESOLUTION; SAMPLING; SCATTERING; SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO; SIMULATION; SYNCHRONIZATION; WAVELENGTHS
Citation Formats
Yoxall, Edward, Rahmani, Mohsen, Maier, Stefan A., Phillips, Chris C., and Navarro-Cía, Miguel. Widely tuneable scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy using pulsed quantum cascade lasers. United States: N. p., 2013.
Web. doi:10.1063/1.4832859.
Yoxall, Edward, Rahmani, Mohsen, Maier, Stefan A., Phillips, Chris C., & Navarro-Cía, Miguel. Widely tuneable scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy using pulsed quantum cascade lasers. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4832859
Yoxall, Edward, Rahmani, Mohsen, Maier, Stefan A., Phillips, Chris C., and Navarro-Cía, Miguel. 2013.
"Widely tuneable scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy using pulsed quantum cascade lasers". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4832859.
@article{osti_22254003,
title = {Widely tuneable scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy using pulsed quantum cascade lasers},
author = {Yoxall, Edward and Rahmani, Mohsen and Maier, Stefan A. and Phillips, Chris C. and Navarro-Cía, Miguel},
abstractNote = {We demonstrate the use of a pulsed quantum cascade laser, wavelength tuneable between 6 and 10 μm, with a scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscope (s-SNOM). A simple method for calculating the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the s-SNOM measurement is presented. For pulsed lasers, the SNR is shown to be highly dependent on the degree of synchronization between the laser pulse and the sampling circuitry; in measurements on a gold sample, the SNR is 26 with good synchronization and less than 1 without. Simulations and experimental s-SNOM images, with a resolution of 100 nm, corresponding to λ/80, and an acquisition time of less than 90 s, are presented as proof of concept. They show the change in the field profile of plasmon-resonant broadband antennas when they are excited with wavelengths of 7.9 and 9.5 μm.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4832859},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22254003},
journal = {Applied Physics Letters},
issn = {0003-6951},
number = 21,
volume = 103,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Nov 18 00:00:00 EST 2013},
month = {Mon Nov 18 00:00:00 EST 2013}
}