Guest Editorial Introduction to the Special Issue on Terahertz Near-Field Microscopy and Applications

Abstract

The papers in this special section on terahertz near-field microscopy (Thz-NFM). THz-NFM is a powerful technique, although still challenging to implement, that is invaluable for probing low-energy light–matter interactions in solid-state and biomolecular nanostructures. In contrast to conventional infrared techniques, owing to the low photon energies of a few millielectronvolts, a THz near-field microscope can directly probe the intraband dynamics of charge carriers and intermolecular vibrations. In particular, combined with the THz time-domain spectroscopy, THz-NFM can provide coherent broadband spectroscopic information on local ultrafast dynamics with nanoscale spatial resolution.