Near-field optical microscopy of nonlinear susceptibilities

Abstract

Local probing of second-order susceptibilities with a near-field optical microscope is demonstrated for the first time. Using an uncoated fiber tip as a light source, near-field images of a surface of y-cut LiNbO 3 crystal and of a multilayer Langmuir–Blodgett film of 2-docosylamino-5-nitropyridine are obtained at the fundamental pump and second harmonic wavelengths while simultaneously recording surface topography. It is shown that optical second-harmonic images for different polarizations of the pump light reflect the difference in magnitude of the corresponding components of the second-order susceptibility tensor. Various degrees of correlation in contrast of optical (fundamental and second harmonic) and topographical images are observed and discussed.