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

一种扫描等离子体共振探针显微镜将在加州大学圣地亚哥分校开发。显微镜利用单个的亚微米金属颗粒，这些金属颗粒表现出明确的等离子体共振（PR）散射光，作为探针或扫描尖端元件。PR颗粒作为“点源”（约50纳米大小）光学换能器，具有增强的局部电场特征。在近场配置中，仪器设计目标包括低至10纳米分辨率的扫描显微镜，可在三种光谱模式下工作：表面增强拉曼，表面增强荧光和双光子激发（荧光或拉曼）。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，超稳定扫描阶段的设计和构建。该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。该显微镜在材料和生物科学中的应用包括磁盘驱动器和马达蛋白运动中磨损残留物的拉曼信号的亚波长分辨率。＊＊＊

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. ***