Surface Plasmon Resonance Microscopy with a Near Field Scanning Optical Microscope

Glenn Fried

Scope Manager, Beckman Institute
Beckman Institute

02 September 1999

A collection mode near field scanning optical microscope was used to detect surface plasmons on thin gold films patterned with phthalocyanine. The intensity of the surface plasmons was modified by the addition of a self-assembled monolayer. These intensity variations were mapped with subwavelength resolution using the collection mode near field scanning optical microscope. By comparing the topographic and optical images the propagation of the surface plasmons was studied. This work moves near field surface plasmon imaging into the realm of organic films.