Photon scanning tunneling microscopy

Abstract

An optical tunneling microscope is presented that operates in exactly the same way as the electron scanning tunneling microscope (ESTM). It takes advantage of evanescent fields generated by the total internal reflection (TIR) of light at the interface between materials of different optical densities. The photon scanning tunneling microscope (PSTM) employs an optically conducting probe tip to map spatial variations in the evanescent and scattered field intensity distributions adjacent to a sample surface, which forms or is placed on the TIR surface. These variations are due to the local topography, morphology, and optical activity of the surface and form the basis of imaging. Evanescent field theory is discussed and the evanescent field intensity as a function of surface-probe separation is calculated using several probe tip models. After a description of PSTM construction and operation, evanescent field intensity measurements are shown to agree with the model calculations. PSTM images of various sample surfaces demonstrate subwavelength resolution exceeding that of conventional optical microscopy, especially in the vertical dimension. Limitations and interpretation of PSTM images are discussed as well as the PSTMs applicability to other forms of surface analysis.