Characterization of Electromagnetic Hot Spots Using Apertureless Near-field Scanning Optical Microscopy

Speaker: Marc McGuigan

When: July 8, 2014 (Tue), 04:00PM to 05:00PM (add to my calendar)
Location: SCI 352

This event is part of the Departmental Seminars.

Dissertation Committee: Bennett Goldberg, Anna Swan, Syam Erramilli, David Campbell, James Rohlf

An understanding of nanoscale light-matter interactions is a prerequisite for the development of active photonic and plasmonic elements. These nanoscale interactions are difficult to study with conventional microscopy tools because most far-field microscopes cannot resolve features smaller than the diffraction limit (half the wavelength of the illuminating light). Near-field microscopes allow for the control and characterization of nanoscale light-matter interactions with sub-diffraction limit spatial resolution. This talk will describe the process of building an apertureless near-field microscope to characterize electromagnetic hot spots on aluminum nanostructures. I will also discuss a novel polarization-based technique that should help us contrast nanoscale electromagnetic enhancements from a far-field, diffraction-limited background.

Marc McGuigan