Development of a Scanning Plasmon Resonant Probe Microscope for Ultra Resolution of Fluorescent, Raman, and Immuno- Labeled Molecules

9724535舒尔茨将在加州大学圣地亚哥分校开发一种扫描等离子共振探针显微镜。该显微镜利用单个亚微米金属颗粒作为探针或扫描尖端元件，这些颗粒表现出明确的等离子体共振(PR)光散射。PR粒子充当“点源”(大约50纳米大小)光学换能器，具有增强的局部电场。在近场配置中，仪器的设计目标包括在三种光谱模式下工作的扫描显微镜的分辨率最低可达10纳米：表面增强拉曼、表面增强荧光和双光子激发(荧光或拉曼)。所涉及的最先进的实验技术包括金属颗粒的纳米光刻制备，超薄SiN窗口基板的纳米制造，以及1纳米精度、100微米扫描范围、超稳定扫描工作台的设计和建造。%开发计划涉及研究生和本科生以及博士后助理参与先进仪器的设计、建造和测试。显微镜在材料和生物科学中的应用包括对磁盘驱动器中磨损轨迹残留物的拉曼信号进行亚波长分辨，以及马达蛋白质运动。***

9724535 Schultz A scanning plasmon resonant probe microscope will be developed at the University of California-San Diego. The microscope utilizes individual, sub-micron metal particles that exhibit well-defined plasmon resonance (PR) scattering of light as probes or scanning tip element. The PR particles act as "point source" (about 50 nanometers in size) optical transducers that feature enhanced local electric fields. In the near-field configuration, instrument design goals include down to 10 nanometer resolution for the scanning microscope working in either of three spectroscopic modes: surface enhanced Raman, surface enhanced fluorescence and two-photon excitations (fluorescence or Raman). State-of-the-art experimental techniques involved include nanolithographic preparation of metal particles, nanofabrication of ultrathin SiN window substrates, and design and construction of a 1 nanometer-precision, 100 micron-scanning range, ultra- stable scanning stage. %%% The development program involves the participation of graduate and undergraduate students, and post-doctoral associates in the design, construction and testing of advanced instrumentation. Applications of the microscope in the material and biological sciences include sub-wavelength resolution of Raman signals from wear-track residues in magnetic disk drives and motor protein motion. ***