Abstract
The Photon Scanning Tunneling Microscope (PSTM) is the photon analogue of the electron Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM). It uses the evanescent field due to the total internal reflection of a light beam in a Total Internal Reflection (TIR) prism. The sample, mounted on the base of the prism, modulates the evanescent field. A sharpened optical fiber probes this field, and the collected light is processed to generate an image of the topography and the chemical composition of the surface. We give, in this paper, a description of the microscope and discuss the influence of several parameters such as - polarization of light, angle of incidence, shape of the end of the fiber - on the resolution. Images of various samples - glass samples, teflon spheres - are presented.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 116-123 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering |
Volume | 1400 |
State | Published - 1991 |
Externally published | Yes |
Event | Optical Fabrication and Testing - Singapore, Singapore Duration: Oct 22 1990 → Oct 27 1990 |