Near-field scanning tunnelling optical microscope

This paper describes the optical system and the main elements of a prototype of a near-field scanning optical microscope, based on the use of the tunneling effect of light from a sample into a point lightguide using total internal reflection. A personal computer is used to control the displacement of an insulating point by means of a three-coordinate piezoceramic manipulator and to record the image. A He-Ne laser is used as the light source. Topographic images of the surface microstructure of transparent samples are obtained with a resolution of 0.1 lambda in the plane of the sample and 0.002 lambda in height. (C) 1997 The Optical Society of America. [S1070-9762(97)01212-8].