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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Electromagnetic Singularities and Resonances in Near-Field Optical Probes

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Over the last two decades scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) has demonstrated its ability to provide optical resolution significantly better than the diffraction limit (<20 nm). The general principle of SNOM relies on the approach of a nanometer-sized object in the optical near-field of a sample to be studied. This nano-object (NO) is usually the extremity of a probe. Regardless of the nature of the observed SNOM signal (inelastic scattering, fluorescence, etc.), the detection of the light is achieved in the far-field regime where the NO acts as a mediator between the optical near-field and the detector. Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of the SNOM principle.