We present the realisation of near-field spectroscopic measurements with fibre-tip-based scanning near-field microscopy. It allows the simultaneous acquisition of near-field images in a broad spectral range (400 nm to 1000 nm), thus recovering local spectroscopic information. This technique is essential in order to understand the resonant interaction of light with nanostructured material as the far-field and near-field spectral response can differ significantly, e.g., in the case of plasmonic nanostructures. Several example applications of hyperspectral near-field imaging are given for visualisation of Bloch modes in plasmonic crystals and plasmon-assisted transmission through a slit.

© 2010 OSA

1. L. Novotny, and B. Hecht, Principles of Nano-optics (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2006)
2. A. Zayats, and D. Richards, eds., Nano-optics and Near-field Optical Microscopy (Artech House, 2008)
3. A. A. Mikhailovsky, M. A. Petruska, M. I. Stockman, and V. I. Klimov, “Broadband near-field interference spectroscopy of metal nanoparticles using femtosecond white-light continuum,” Opt. Express 28, 1686–1688 (2003).
4. K. Karrai and R. D. Grober, “Piezoelectric tip‐sample distance control for near field optical microscopes,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 66(14), 1842–1844 (1995). [CrossRef]
5. A. V. Zayats, I. I. Smolyaninov, and A. A. Maradudin, “Nano-optics of surface plasmon polaritons,” Phys. Rep. 408(3-4), 131–314 (2005). [CrossRef]
6. I. I. Smolyaninov, W. Atia, and C. C. Davis, “Near-field optical microscopy of two-dimensional photonic and plasmonic crystals,” Phys. Rev. B 59(3), 2454–2460 (1999). [CrossRef]
7. C. Ropers, D. J. Park, G. Stibenz, G. Steinmeyer, J. Kim, D. S. Kim, and C. Lienau, “Femtosecond light transmission and subradiant damping in plasmonic crystals,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 94(11), 113901 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
8. W. Dickson, G. A. Wurtz, P. R. Evans, R. J. Pollard, and A. V. Zayats, “Electronically controlled surface plasmon dispersion and optical transmission through metallic hole arrays using liquid crystal,” Nano Lett. 8(1), 281–286 (2008). [CrossRef]
9. W. L. Barnes, A. Dereux, and T. W. Ebbesen, “Surface plasmon subwavelength optics,” Nature 424(6950), 824–830 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. S. I. Bozhevolnyi, “Near-field mapping of surface polariton fields,” J. Microsc. 202(Pt 2), 313–319 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
11. S. A. Darmanyan, M. Neviere, and A. V. Zayats, “Analytical theory of optical transmission through periodically structured metal films via tunnel-coupled surface polariton modes,” Phys. Rev. B 70(7), 075103 (2004). [CrossRef]
12. A. Drezet, D. Koller, A. Hohenau, A. Leitner, F. R. Aussenegg, and J. R. Krenn, “Plasmonic crystal demultiplexer and multiports,” Nano Lett. 7(6), 1697–1700 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
13. V. Mikhailov, G. A. Wurtz, J. Elliott, P. Bayvel, and A. V. Zayats, “Dispersing light with surface plasmon polaritonic crystals,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 99(8), 083901 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
14. H. J. Lezec, A. Degiron, E. Devaux, R. A. Linke, L. Martin-Moreno, F. J. Garcia-Vidal, and T. W. Ebbesen, “Beaming light from a subwavelength aperture,” Science 297(5582), 820–822 (2002). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
15. E. Laux, C. Genet, T. Skauli, and T. W. Ebbesen, “Plasmonic photon sorters for spectral and polarimetric imaging,” Nat. Photonics 2(3), 161–164 (2008). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• K. Karrai and R. D. Grober, “Piezoelectric tip‐sample distance control for near field optical microscopes,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 66(14), 1842–1844 (1995). [CrossRef]

J. Microsc.

• S. I. Bozhevolnyi, “Near-field mapping of surface polariton fields,” J. Microsc. 202(Pt 2), 313–319 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Nano Lett.

• A. Drezet, D. Koller, A. Hohenau, A. Leitner, F. R. Aussenegg, and J. R. Krenn, “Plasmonic crystal demultiplexer and multiports,” Nano Lett. 7(6), 1697–1700 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• W. Dickson, G. A. Wurtz, P. R. Evans, R. J. Pollard, and A. V. Zayats, “Electronically controlled surface plasmon dispersion and optical transmission through metallic hole arrays using liquid crystal,” Nano Lett. 8(1), 281–286 (2008). [CrossRef]

Nat. Photonics

• E. Laux, C. Genet, T. Skauli, and T. W. Ebbesen, “Plasmonic photon sorters for spectral and polarimetric imaging,” Nat. Photonics 2(3), 161–164 (2008). [CrossRef]

Nature

• W. L. Barnes, A. Dereux, and T. W. Ebbesen, “Surface plasmon subwavelength optics,” Nature 424(6950), 824–830 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Express

• A. A. Mikhailovsky, M. A. Petruska, M. I. Stockman, and V. I. Klimov, “Broadband near-field interference spectroscopy of metal nanoparticles using femtosecond white-light continuum,” Opt. Express 28, 1686–1688 (2003).

Phys. Rep.

• A. V. Zayats, I. I. Smolyaninov, and A. A. Maradudin, “Nano-optics of surface plasmon polaritons,” Phys. Rep. 408(3-4), 131–314 (2005). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. B

• I. I. Smolyaninov, W. Atia, and C. C. Davis, “Near-field optical microscopy of two-dimensional photonic and plasmonic crystals,” Phys. Rev. B 59(3), 2454–2460 (1999). [CrossRef]
• S. A. Darmanyan, M. Neviere, and A. V. Zayats, “Analytical theory of optical transmission through periodically structured metal films via tunnel-coupled surface polariton modes,” Phys. Rev. B 70(7), 075103 (2004). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• V. Mikhailov, G. A. Wurtz, J. Elliott, P. Bayvel, and A. V. Zayats, “Dispersing light with surface plasmon polaritonic crystals,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 99(8), 083901 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• C. Ropers, D. J. Park, G. Stibenz, G. Steinmeyer, J. Kim, D. S. Kim, and C. Lienau, “Femtosecond light transmission and subradiant damping in plasmonic crystals,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 94(11), 113901 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Science

• H. J. Lezec, A. Degiron, E. Devaux, R. A. Linke, L. Martin-Moreno, F. J. Garcia-Vidal, and T. W. Ebbesen, “Beaming light from a subwavelength aperture,” Science 297(5582), 820–822 (2002). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Other

• L. Novotny, and B. Hecht, Principles of Nano-optics (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2006)
• A. Zayats, and D. Richards, eds., Nano-optics and Near-field Optical Microscopy (Artech House, 2008)

Click here to see a list of articles that cite this paper

Multimedia

Related Journal Articles

• Substrate effect on refractive index dependence of plasmon resonance for individual silver nanoparticles observed using darkfield microspectroscopy (OE)
• Surface plasmon rainbow jets (OL)
• Total internal reflection ellipsometry: ultrahigh sensitivity for protein adsorption on metal surfaces (OL)
• Bowtie plasmonic quantum cascade laser antenna (OE)
• High-throughput detection of immobilized plasmonic nanoparticles by a hyperspectral imaging system based on Fourier transform spectrometry (OE)

Related Conference Papers

• Nano-Optical and Terahertz Near-Field Studies of Surface Plasmon Generation
• The Phase Sensation of Near-Field Optical Enhancement in a Metal Nanoparticle
• Near-Field Scattering and Localization in Deterministic Aperiodic Palsmonic Structures
• The Phase Sensation of Near-Field Optical Enhancement in a Metal Nanoparticle
• Near-Field Scattering and Localization in Deterministic Aperiodic Palsmonic Structures