STTR Phase I: Surface Plasmon Enhanced High Efficiency Near-field Probes

0340259这个小企业技术转移第一阶段研究项目将开发具有显著提高传输效率的近场扫描光学显微镜（NSOM）探针，从而提高空间分辨率和更高的扫描速度。通过结合新发现的近场表面等离子体效应，可以实现高传输效率。使用表面等离子体增强的NSOM探针将比现有探针具有高2-3个数量级的透射率，允许更快的扫描速度以及更好的空间分辨率。第一阶段的第一原理建模和测试结构的纳米制造的结合将提供概念证明以及第二阶段优化的指导。该项目将推动对近场光学的基础科学理解，同时提高商用NSOM计量仪器的能力，这些仪器在纳米技术开发、光刻和计量领域具有广泛的适用性。等离子体光学在需要高效率和亚波长尺寸的广泛领域具有潜在的应用，包括光学与微电子，空间和光谱光复用以及数据存储应用的集成。

0340259This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I research project will develop near-fieldscanning optical microscopy (NSOM) probes with dramatically increased transmission efficiencythat will lead to increased spatial resolution and higher scan speed. High transmissionefficiency will be achieved by incorporation of newly discovered near-field surfaceplasmon affects. NSOM probes using surface plasmon enhancement will have 2-3 orders ofmagnitude higher transmission than existing probes, allowing faster scanning speeds aswell as better spatial resolution. A combination of first principles modeling and nanofabricationof test structures in Phase I will provide proof of concept as well as a guidefor Phase II optimization.This program will push the fundamental scientific understanding of near-fieldoptics while simultaneously enhancing the capabilities of commercial NSOM metrologyinstruments, which have wide applicability in nanotechnology development, lithography and metrology.Plasmon optics have potential applications to a broad range of areas where high efficiency and subwavelength sizes are required including the integration of optics with microelectronics, spatial and spectraloptical multiplexing, and data storage applications.