Search results for "LIGHT CONFINEMENT"
showing 4 items of 4 documents
Direct interpretation of near-field optical images
2001
International audience; The interpretation of the detection process in near-field optical microscopy is reviewed on the basis of a discussion about the possibility of establishing direct comparisons between experimental images and the solutions of Maxwell equations or the electromagnetic local density of states. On the basis of simple physical arguments, it is expected that the solutions of Maxwell equations should agree with images obtained by collecting mode near-field microscopes, while the electromagnetic local density of states should be considered to provide a practical interpretation of illumination mode near-field microscopes. We review collecting mode near-field microscope images w…
Theoretical principles of near-field optical microscopies and spectroscopies
2000
International audience; This paper deals with the principles of detection of optical signals near a surface in a manner permitting the mapping of the distribution of the fields close to various kinds of illuminated samples. We begin with a discussion of the main physical properties of the optical fields near a surface in the absence of any probe tip. This mainly concerns phenomena involving evanescent waves for which the local decay lengths are governed not only by the sizes but also by the intrinsic properties of the surface structures. The interpretation of the detection process is reviewed on the basis of a discussion about the possibility of establishing direct comparisons between exper…
Progress in the interpretation of near-field optics
1998
International audience
Local detection of the optical magnetic field in the near zone of dielectric samples
2000
International audience; We present a study of the influence of the probe composition on the formation of constant-height photon scanning tunneling microscope images when observing a dielectric sample. Dramatic effects due to the metallization of the tip are presented and discussed in detail. We show how the recorded images can look quite different when the probe is dielectric or coated with gold. Comparison with numerical calculations indicate that the experimental signals are of electric or magnetic nature depending on the composition of the tip. For well-defined conditions, gold-coated tips provide images of the distribution of the magnetic field intensity associated with the optical near…