Abstract

A nanoscale conductive tip under laser irradiation acts both as a receiving antenna to collect the laser energy and as a transmitting antenna to create a field that is largely enhanced under the tip. Tip-enhanced laser irradiation involves various ways in which the laser beam is integrated with a scanning probe microscope (SPM). When an SPM tip is irradiated with a laser beam, the tip undergoes thermal expansion to cause surface nano-indentations and significantly enhances optical field in proximity to the tip apex which can heat the sample surface to result in phase change and chemical reaction. Therefore, nanoscale surface structuring and modification can be achieved by laser-assisted SPM.

© 2003 Optical Society of America