Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface to the first edition
- Preface to the second edition
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Theoretical foundations
- 3 Propagation and focusing of optical fields
- 4 Resolution and localization
- 5 Nanoscale optical microscopy
- 6 Localization of light with near-field probes
- 7 Probe–sample distance control
- 8 Optical interactions
- 9 Quantum emitters
- 10 Dipole emission near planar interfaces
- 11 Photonic crystals, resonators, and cavity optomechanics
- 12 Surface plasmons
- 13 Optical antennas
- 14 Optical forces
- 15 Fluctuation-induced interactions
- 16 Theoretical methods in nano-optics
- Appendix A Semi-analytical derivation of the atomic polarizability
- Appendix B Spontaneous emission in the weak-coupling regime
- Appendix C Fields of a dipole near a layered substrate
- Appendix D Far-field Green functions
- Index
- References
7 - Probe–sample distance control
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 November 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface to the first edition
- Preface to the second edition
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Theoretical foundations
- 3 Propagation and focusing of optical fields
- 4 Resolution and localization
- 5 Nanoscale optical microscopy
- 6 Localization of light with near-field probes
- 7 Probe–sample distance control
- 8 Optical interactions
- 9 Quantum emitters
- 10 Dipole emission near planar interfaces
- 11 Photonic crystals, resonators, and cavity optomechanics
- 12 Surface plasmons
- 13 Optical antennas
- 14 Optical forces
- 15 Fluctuation-induced interactions
- 16 Theoretical methods in nano-optics
- Appendix A Semi-analytical derivation of the atomic polarizability
- Appendix B Spontaneous emission in the weak-coupling regime
- Appendix C Fields of a dipole near a layered substrate
- Appendix D Far-field Green functions
- Index
- References
Summary
In order to measure localized fields one needs to bring a local probe into close proximity to a sample surface. Typically, the probe-sample distance is required to be smaller than the size of lateral field confinement and thus smaller than the spatial resolution to be achieved. An active feedback loop is required in order to maintain a constant distance during the experiment. However, the successful implementation of a feedback loop requires a sufficiently short-ranged interaction between the optical probe and the sample. The dependence of this interaction on the probe-sample distance should be monotonic in order to ensure a unique distance assignment. A typical block diagram of a feedback loop applied to scanning probe microscopy is shown in Fig. 7.1. A piezoelectric element P(ω) is used to transform an electric signal into a displacement, whilst the interaction measurement I(ω) takes care of the reverse transformation. The controller G(ω) is used to optimize the speed of the feedback loop and to ensure stability according to well-established design rules. Most commonly, a so-called PI controller is used, which is a combination of a proportional gain (P) and an integrator stage (I).
Using the (near-field) optical signal itself as a distance-dependent feedback signal seems to be an attractive solution at first glance. However, it turns out that this is problematic. (1) In the presence of a sample of unknown and inhomogeneous composition, unpredictable variations in the near-field distribution give rise to a non-monotonic distance dependence.
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- Principles of Nano-Optics , pp. 201 - 223Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2012