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Title: Photon scanning tunneling microscopy

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6514683
; ; ;  [1]; ;  [2]
  1. Dijon Univ., 21 (France). Lab. de Physique du Solide
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)

The Photon Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (PSTM) is the photon analogue of the electron Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM). It uses the evanescent field due to the total internal reflection of a light beam in a Total Internal Reflection (TIR) prism. The sample, mounted on the base of the prism, modulates the evanescent field. A sharpened optical fiber probes this field, and the collected light is processed to generate an image of the topography and the chemical composition of the surface. We give, in this paper, a description of the microscope and discuss the influence of several parameters such as -- polarization of light, angle of incidence, shape of the end of the fiber -- on the resolution. Images of various samples -- glass samples, teflon spheres -- are presented. 8 refs., 7 figs.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE/ER
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-84OR21400
OSTI ID:
6514683
Report Number(s):
CONF-9010216-1; ON: DE91001215
Resource Relation:
Conference: APCOT 90: Asia Pacific conference on optical technology, Singapore (Singapore), 22-27 Oct 1990
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English