Abstract

An experimental technique that makes use of the intensity of the interference pattern formed by light that propagates directly from the single-mode fiber tip and light that is reflected by the surface under an oblique angle of incidence is developed to control the tip–surface distance in near-field optical microscopy. It is shown that by using another fiber as a detector with a polished edge placed at the surface near the fiber tip one can determine the tip–surface separation with an accuracy better than 15 nm at distances less than 1 μm. The technique proposed is used to investigate the influence of the shape of the tip in near-field measurements.

© 1993 Optical Society of America

Macroscopic self-consistent model for external-reflection near-field microscopy

S. Berntsen, E. Bozhevolnaya, and S. Bozhevolnyi
J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 10(5) 878-885 (1993)

Chemically etched fiber tips for near-field optical microscopy: a process for smoother tips

Patrick Lambelet, Abdeljalil Sayah, Michael Pfeffer, Claude Philipona, and Fabienne Marquis-Weible
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Reflection-mode scanning near-field optical microscopy using an apertureless metallic tip

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Model for reflection near field optical microscopy

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Appl. Opt. 29(26) 3726-3733 (1990)

Apertureless near-field optical microscopy: influence of the illumination conditions on the image contrast

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