We demonstrate a concurrent polarization-retrieval algorithm based on a multi-heterodyne scanning near-field optical microscopy (MH-SNOM) measurement system. This method relies on calibration of the polarization properties of the MH-SNOM using an isotropic region of the sample in the vicinity of the nanostructures of interest. We experimentally show the effectiveness of the method on a silicon ...

We demonstrate the ability of stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy, a far-field fluorescence imaging technique with diffraction-unlimited resolution, to reveal the spatial order of fluorescent nanoparticles. Unlike its confocal counterpart, here STED microscopy resolves the arrangements of densely packed 40 nm beads, supramolecular aggregates in a cell membrane, and colloidal nanopar...

Infrared vibrational nano-spectroscopy based on scattering scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) provides intrinsic chemical specificity with nanometer spatial resolution. Here we use incoherent infrared radiation from a 1400 K thermal blackbody emitter for broadband infrared (IR) nano-spectroscopy. With optimized interferometric heterodyne signal amplification we achieve few-monolaye...

1 Department of Physics, Department of Chemistry, and JILA, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA Structure, function, and dynamics of many interfacial soft-matter systems, including polymer heterostructures, organic photovoltaics, or biomembranes are typically defined on the mesoscopic few nm to sub-micron scale. Tip-enhanced and scattering scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SN...

Background: A selective non-operative management (SNOM) has found to be an adequate and safe strategy to assess and treat patients suffering from penetrating trauma of the extremities (PTE). With this SNOM comes a strategy in which adjuvant investigations or interventions are not routinely performed, but based on physical examination only. Methods: All subsequent patients presented with PTE at ...

Using a scanning near-field optical microscope coupled to an infrared free electron laser (SNOM-IR-FEL) in low-resolution transmission mode, we collected chemical data from whole cervical cells obtained from 5 pre-menopausal, non-pregnant women of reproductive age, and cytologically classified as normal or with different grades of cervical cell dyskaryosis. Imaging data are complemented by demo...

Surface phonon-polariton (SPhP) modes exist under optical excitation of polar materials, and are accessible using scattering type near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM). Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) and boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) can exhibit such modes under IR excitation, in spectral regions where the permittivity is negative. Herein we present pump-probe continuous wave (CW) sSNOM a nov...

Scattering scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) has been demonstrated as a valuable tool for mapping the optical and optoelectronic properties of materials with nanoscale resolution. Here we report experimental evidence that trapped electric charges injected by an electron beam at the surface of dielectric samples affect the sample-dipole interaction, which has direct impact on the s...

We investigate the effect of defects in the metal-coating layer of a scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) probe on the coupling of polarization modes using rigorous electromagnetic modeling tools. Because of practical limitations, we study an ensemble of simple defects to identify important trends and then extrapolate these results to more realistic structures. We find that a probe wit...

Utilizing a broadly-tunable external cavity quantum cascade laser for scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM), we measure infrared spectra of particles of explosives by probing characteristic nitro-group resonances in the 7.1-7.9 µm wavelength range. Measurements are presented with spectral resolution of 0.25 cm(-1), spatial resolution of 25 nm, sensitivity better than 1...