Direct observation of self-focusing with subdiffraction limited resolution using near-field scanning optical microscope

Strong nonlinear saturation absorption-induced optical pinhole channel and super-resolution effects: a multi-layer system model

This work focuses on the strong nonlinear saturation absorption (NSA)-induced optical super-resolution effect. A multi-layer system model is proposed to understand the strong NSA-induced formation of an optical pinhole channel and the generation of a super-resolution spot. Taking a Sb2Te3 thin film as an example, numerical simulations were conducted. The results illustrate that an optical pinhole channel is clearly formed by the NSA characteristics. This pinhole channel is similar to a near-field light probe. Light travels through the pinhole channel, and a super-resolution spot is generated at its apex. The near-field spot scanning experimental results show that the reduction ratio of the spot is approximately 44.8%, which is basically consistent with the numerical simulation result of 43%. This work is helpful for understanding optical nonlinear super-resolution effects and developing nanolithography, nanodata storage, high-resolution optical imaging technologies with nonlinear thin films.

Formation of super-resolution spot through nonlinear Fabry-Perot cavity structures: theory and simulation

This study explores how interference manipulation breaks through the diffraction limit and induces super-resolution nano-optical hot spots through the nonlinear Fabry-Perot cavity structure. The theoretical analytical model is established, and the numerical simulation results show that when the thickness of the nonlinear thin film inside the nonlinear Fabry-Perot cavity structure is adjusted to centain value, the constructive interference effect can be formed in the central point of the spot, which causes the nanoscale optical hot spot in the central region to be produced. The simulation results also tell us that the hot spot size is sensitive to nonlinear thin film thickness, and the accuracy is required to be up to nanometer or even subnanometer scale, which is very large challenging for thin film deposition technique, however, slightly changing the incident laser power can compensate for drawbacks of low thickness accuracy of nonlinear thin films. Taking As(2)S(3) as the nonlinear thin film, the central hot spot with a size of 40nm is obtained at suitable nonlinear thin film thickness and incident laser power. The central hot spot size is only about λ/16, which is very useful in super-high density optical recording, nanolithography, and high-resolving optical surface imaging.

Direct observation of below-diffraction-limited optical spot induced by nonlinear saturable absorption of Ag-doped Si nanofilms

In this work, using the scanning near-field optical fiber probe method, we carry out a direct observation of below-diffraction-limited optical spot induced by nonlinear saturable absorption characteristic of Ag-doped Si nanofilms. The experimental results indicate that the squeezed spot size decreases with laser power increase, and the smallest spot can be squeezed to 68% of the diffraction-limited focusing spot size, which is very useful and can be applied to superresolution optical recording, optical lithography, and optical imaging.

Origin of photo-induced transmitting oscillations in chalcogenide glasses

Light-induced oscillatory behaviors of transmission in chalcogenide glasses are investigated using a continuous wave tunable Ti-sapphire laser. It is shown that phase change, thermal fluctuation, nonlinear index change and periodic self focusing are not at the origin of light-induced oscillatory transmittance in chalcogenide glasses. Instead, results indicate that the interference of transmitting and reflecting light is at the origin of the oscillatory behaviors of transmitted light. Just like the principle of Fabry-Pérot interferometer, these interferences result in a periodic change in transmission as the related interferential beams get in and out of phase. However, this transmitting oscillatory behavior can be registered by the detector only when the change of optical path length difference initiated by photo-induced effects is slower enough compared with the corresponding response time of the detector. Several photo-structural effects contribute to that phenomenon including photo-expansion, photo-darkening, and permanent self focusing. It appears that fluctuations of the light source intensity induce a wide distribution of the oscillatory periods.

Recent progress of nano-technology with NSOM

Recent progress of nano-technology with near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM) is surveyed in this article. We focus mainly on NSOM, nano-scale spectroscopy with NSOM, probe technology of NSOM, and study of nano-structured metallic surface with NSOM. First, we follow developments of aperture NSOM and apertureless NSOM, and then address progress of NSOM-combined spectroscopy which is so sufficiently advanced with apertureless NSOM technology to provide chemical information on length scales of a few nanometers. Recent achievement of nano-scale Raman and IR spectroscopy will be introduced. Finally, research on nano-optic elements using surface plasmon polariton with NSOM is introduced as an example of NSOM applications to nano-structured metallic surfaces.