We demonstrate a simple scheme for high-resolution imaging of nanoplasmonic structures that basically removes most of the resolution limiting allowed light usually transmitted to the far field. This is achieved by implementing a Fourier lens in a near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM) operating in the leakage-radiation microscopy (LRM) mode. The method consists of reconstructing optical images solely from the plasmonic ‘forbidden’ light collected in the Fourier space. It is demonstrated by using a point-like nanodiamond-based tip that illuminates a thin gold film patterned with a sub-wavelength annular slit. The reconstructed image of the slit shows a spatial resolution enhanced by a factor ≃ 4 compared to NSOM images acquired directly in the real space.

© 2012 OSA

1. B. Hecht, D. W. Pohl, H. Heinzelmann, and L. Novotny, “Tunnel near-field optical microscopy: TNOM-2,” Ultramicroscopy 61, 99–104 (1995). [CrossRef]
2. B. Hecht, H. Bielefeldt, L. Novotny, Y. Inouye, and D. W. Pohl, “Local excitation, scattering, and interference of surface plasmons,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 1889–1892 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. C. Chicane, T. David, R. Quidant, J.-C. Weeber, Y. Lacroute, E. Bourillot, A. Dereux, G. Colas, Des Francs, and C. Girard, “Imaging the Local Density of States of Optical Corrals,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 097402 (2002). [CrossRef]
4. A. Bouhelier, Th. Huser, H. Tamaru, H.-J. Güntherodt, and D. W. Pohl, “Plasmon optics of structured silver films,” Phys. Rev. B 63, 155404 (2001). [CrossRef]
5. A. Drezet, A. Hohenau, A. L. Stepanov, H. Ditlbacher, B. Steinberger, N. Galler, F. R. Aussenegg, A. Leitner, and J. R. Krenn, “How to erase surface plasmon fringes,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 091117 (2006). [CrossRef]
6. D. E. Chang, A. S. Sørensen, P. R. Hemmer, and M. D. Lukin, “Quantum Optics with Surface Plasmons,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 053002 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. A. V. Akimov, A. Mukherjee, C. L. Yu, D. E. Chang, A. S. Zibrov, P. R. Hemmer, H. Park, and M. D. Lukin, “Generation of single optical plasmons in metallic nanowires coupled to quantum dots,” Nature 450, 402–406 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
8. S. Schietinger, M. Barth, T. Aichele, and O. Benson, “Plasmon-enhanced single photon emission from a nanoassembled metal-diamond hybrid structure at room temperature.,” Nano Lett. 9, 1694–1698 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
9. Y. Fedutik, V.V. Temnov, O. Schöps, U. Woggon, and M.V. Artemyev, “Exciton-Plasmon-Photon Conversion in Plasmonic Nanostructures,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 136802 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. A. W. Schell, G. Kewes, T. Hanke, A. Leitenstorfer, R. Bratschitsch, O. Benson, and T. Aichele, “Single defect centers in diamond nanocrystals as quantum probes for plasmonic nanostructures,” Opt. Express 19, 7914–7920 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
11. R. Kolesov, B. Grotz, G. Balasubramanian, R. J. Stöhr, A. A. L. Nicolet, P. R. Hemmer, F. Jelezko, and J. Wrachtrup, “Wave-particle duality of single surface plasmon polaritons,” Nature Phys. 5, 470–474 (2009). [CrossRef]
12. A. Huck, S. Kumar, A. Shakoor, and U. Andersen, “Controlled Coupling of a Single Nitrogen-Vacancy Center to a Silver Nanowire,” Phys. Rev. Lett 106, 096801 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
13. A. Cuche, A. Drezet, Y. Sonnefraud, O. Faklaris, F. Treussart, J.-F. Roch, and S. Huant, “Near-field optical microscopy with a nanodiamond-based single-photon tip,” Opt. Express 17, 19969–19980 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
14. A. Drezet, A. Cuche, and S. Huant, “Near-field microscopy with a single-photon point-like emitter: Resolution versus the aperture tip?,” Opt. Commun. 284, 1444–1450 (2011). [CrossRef]
15. Y. Sonnefraud, A. Cuche, O. Faklaris, J.-P. Boudou, T. Sauvage, J.-F. Roch, F. Treussart, and S. Huant, “Diamond nanocrystals hosting single nitrogen-vacancy color centers sorted by photon-correlation near-field microscopy,” Opt. Lett. 33, 611–613 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
16. A. Cuche, O. Mollet, A. Drezet, and S. Huant, “‘Deterministic’ quantum plasmonics,” Nano Lett. 10, 4566–4570 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
17. O. Mollet, A. Cuche, A. Drezet, and S. Huant, “Leakage radiation microscopy of surface plasmons launched by a nanodiamond-based tip,” Diam. Relat. Mater. 20, 995–998 (2011). [CrossRef]
18. O. Mollet, S. Huant, G. Dantelle, T. Gacoin, and A. Drezet, “Quantum plasmonics: Second-order coherence of surface plasmons launched by quantum emitters into a metallic film,” Phys. Rev. B 86, 045401 (2012). [CrossRef]
19. S. Kühn, C. Hettich, C. Schmitt, J.-P. Poizat, and V. Sandoghdar, “Diamond colour centres as a nanoscopic light source for scanning near-field optical microscopy,” J. Microsc. 202, 2–6 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
20. R. Marty, C. Girard, A. Arbouet, and G. Colas des Francs, “Near-field coupling of a Point-like dipolar source with a thin metallic film: Implication for STM plasmon excitations,” Chem. Phys. Lett. 532, 100–105 (2012). [CrossRef]
21. A. Gruber, A. Drabenstedt, C. Tietz, L. Fleury, J. Wrachtrup, and C. von Borczyskowski, “Scanning confocal optical microscopy and magnetic resonance on single defect centers,” Science 276, 2012–2014 (1997). [CrossRef]
22. K. Karrai and R. D. Grober, “Piezoelectric tip-sample distance control for near field optical microscopes,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 60, 1842–1844 (1995). [CrossRef]
23. Slight dispersions in the measured rim width are due to an imperfect patterning during the FIB milling process.
24. C. Girard, O. J. F. Martin, G. Leveque, G. Colas des Francs, and A. Dereux, “Generalized bloch equations for optical interactions in confined geometries,” Chem. Phys. Lett. 404, 44–48 (2005). [CrossRef]
25. R. Marty, A. Arbouet, V. Paillard, C. Girard, and G. Colas des Francs, “Photon antibunching in the optical near-field,” Phys. Rev. B 82, 081403 (2010). [CrossRef]
26. F. I. Baida, D. Van Labeke, A. Bouhelier, T. Huser, and D. Pohl, “Propagation and diffraction of locally excited surface plasmons,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 18, 1552–1561 (2001). [CrossRef]
27. L. Novotny, B. Hecht, and D. Pohl, “Interference of locally excited surface plasmons,” J. Appl. Phys. 81, 1798–1806 (1997). [CrossRef]
28. A. Hohenau, J. R. Krenn, A. Drezet, O. Mollet, S. Huant, C. Genet, B. Stein, and T. W. Ebbesen, “Surface plasmon leakage radiation microscopy at the diffraction limit,” Opt. Express 19, 25749–25762 (2011). [CrossRef]
29. M. Specht, J. D. Pedarnig, W. M. Heckl, and T. W. Hänsch, “Scanning plasmon near-field microscope,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 68, 476–479 (1992). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
30. T. Wang, E. Boer-Duchemin, Y. Zhang, G. Comtet, and G. Dujardin, “Excitation of propagating surface plasmons with a scanning tunneling microscope,” Nanotechnology 22, 175201 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
31. P. Bharadwaj, A. Bouhelier, and L. Novotny, “Electrical excitation of surface plasmons,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 226802 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• A. Drezet, A. Hohenau, A. L. Stepanov, H. Ditlbacher, B. Steinberger, N. Galler, F. R. Aussenegg, A. Leitner, and J. R. Krenn, “How to erase surface plasmon fringes,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 091117 (2006). [CrossRef]
• K. Karrai and R. D. Grober, “Piezoelectric tip-sample distance control for near field optical microscopes,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 60, 1842–1844 (1995). [CrossRef]

Chem. Phys. Lett.

• C. Girard, O. J. F. Martin, G. Leveque, G. Colas des Francs, and A. Dereux, “Generalized bloch equations for optical interactions in confined geometries,” Chem. Phys. Lett. 404, 44–48 (2005). [CrossRef]
• R. Marty, C. Girard, A. Arbouet, and G. Colas des Francs, “Near-field coupling of a Point-like dipolar source with a thin metallic film: Implication for STM plasmon excitations,” Chem. Phys. Lett. 532, 100–105 (2012). [CrossRef]

Diam. Relat. Mater.

• O. Mollet, A. Cuche, A. Drezet, and S. Huant, “Leakage radiation microscopy of surface plasmons launched by a nanodiamond-based tip,” Diam. Relat. Mater. 20, 995–998 (2011). [CrossRef]

J. Appl. Phys.

• L. Novotny, B. Hecht, and D. Pohl, “Interference of locally excited surface plasmons,” J. Appl. Phys. 81, 1798–1806 (1997). [CrossRef]

J. Microsc.

• S. Kühn, C. Hettich, C. Schmitt, J.-P. Poizat, and V. Sandoghdar, “Diamond colour centres as a nanoscopic light source for scanning near-field optical microscopy,” J. Microsc. 202, 2–6 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

J. Opt. Soc. Am. A

• F. I. Baida, D. Van Labeke, A. Bouhelier, T. Huser, and D. Pohl, “Propagation and diffraction of locally excited surface plasmons,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 18, 1552–1561 (2001). [CrossRef]

Nano Lett.

• S. Schietinger, M. Barth, T. Aichele, and O. Benson, “Plasmon-enhanced single photon emission from a nanoassembled metal-diamond hybrid structure at room temperature.,” Nano Lett. 9, 1694–1698 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. Cuche, O. Mollet, A. Drezet, and S. Huant, “‘Deterministic’ quantum plasmonics,” Nano Lett. 10, 4566–4570 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Nanotechnology

• T. Wang, E. Boer-Duchemin, Y. Zhang, G. Comtet, and G. Dujardin, “Excitation of propagating surface plasmons with a scanning tunneling microscope,” Nanotechnology 22, 175201 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Nature

• A. V. Akimov, A. Mukherjee, C. L. Yu, D. E. Chang, A. S. Zibrov, P. R. Hemmer, H. Park, and M. D. Lukin, “Generation of single optical plasmons in metallic nanowires coupled to quantum dots,” Nature 450, 402–406 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Nature Phys.

• R. Kolesov, B. Grotz, G. Balasubramanian, R. J. Stöhr, A. A. L. Nicolet, P. R. Hemmer, F. Jelezko, and J. Wrachtrup, “Wave-particle duality of single surface plasmon polaritons,” Nature Phys. 5, 470–474 (2009). [CrossRef]

Opt. Commun.

• A. Drezet, A. Cuche, and S. Huant, “Near-field microscopy with a single-photon point-like emitter: Resolution versus the aperture tip?,” Opt. Commun. 284, 1444–1450 (2011). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• A. Cuche, A. Drezet, Y. Sonnefraud, O. Faklaris, F. Treussart, J.-F. Roch, and S. Huant, “Near-field optical microscopy with a nanodiamond-based single-photon tip,” Opt. Express 17, 19969–19980 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. W. Schell, G. Kewes, T. Hanke, A. Leitenstorfer, R. Bratschitsch, O. Benson, and T. Aichele, “Single defect centers in diamond nanocrystals as quantum probes for plasmonic nanostructures,” Opt. Express 19, 7914–7920 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. Hohenau, J. R. Krenn, A. Drezet, O. Mollet, S. Huant, C. Genet, B. Stein, and T. W. Ebbesen, “Surface plasmon leakage radiation microscopy at the diffraction limit,” Opt. Express 19, 25749–25762 (2011). [CrossRef]

Opt. Lett.

• Y. Sonnefraud, A. Cuche, O. Faklaris, J.-P. Boudou, T. Sauvage, J.-F. Roch, F. Treussart, and S. Huant, “Diamond nanocrystals hosting single nitrogen-vacancy color centers sorted by photon-correlation near-field microscopy,” Opt. Lett. 33, 611–613 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. B

• A. Bouhelier, Th. Huser, H. Tamaru, H.-J. Güntherodt, and D. W. Pohl, “Plasmon optics of structured silver films,” Phys. Rev. B 63, 155404 (2001). [CrossRef]
• O. Mollet, S. Huant, G. Dantelle, T. Gacoin, and A. Drezet, “Quantum plasmonics: Second-order coherence of surface plasmons launched by quantum emitters into a metallic film,” Phys. Rev. B 86, 045401 (2012). [CrossRef]
• R. Marty, A. Arbouet, V. Paillard, C. Girard, and G. Colas des Francs, “Photon antibunching in the optical near-field,” Phys. Rev. B 82, 081403 (2010). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett

• A. Huck, S. Kumar, A. Shakoor, and U. Andersen, “Controlled Coupling of a Single Nitrogen-Vacancy Center to a Silver Nanowire,” Phys. Rev. Lett 106, 096801 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• B. Hecht, H. Bielefeldt, L. Novotny, Y. Inouye, and D. W. Pohl, “Local excitation, scattering, and interference of surface plasmons,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 77, 1889–1892 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• C. Chicane, T. David, R. Quidant, J.-C. Weeber, Y. Lacroute, E. Bourillot, A. Dereux, G. Colas, Des Francs, and C. Girard, “Imaging the Local Density of States of Optical Corrals,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 097402 (2002). [CrossRef]
• Y. Fedutik, V.V. Temnov, O. Schöps, U. Woggon, and M.V. Artemyev, “Exciton-Plasmon-Photon Conversion in Plasmonic Nanostructures,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 136802 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• D. E. Chang, A. S. Sørensen, P. R. Hemmer, and M. D. Lukin, “Quantum Optics with Surface Plasmons,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 053002 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• M. Specht, J. D. Pedarnig, W. M. Heckl, and T. W. Hänsch, “Scanning plasmon near-field microscope,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 68, 476–479 (1992). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• P. Bharadwaj, A. Bouhelier, and L. Novotny, “Electrical excitation of surface plasmons,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 226802 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Science

• A. Gruber, A. Drabenstedt, C. Tietz, L. Fleury, J. Wrachtrup, and C. von Borczyskowski, “Scanning confocal optical microscopy and magnetic resonance on single defect centers,” Science 276, 2012–2014 (1997). [CrossRef]

Ultramicroscopy

• B. Hecht, D. W. Pohl, H. Heinzelmann, and L. Novotny, “Tunnel near-field optical microscopy: TNOM-2,” Ultramicroscopy 61, 99–104 (1995). [CrossRef]

Other

• Slight dispersions in the measured rim width are due to an imperfect patterning during the FIB milling process.

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