Shifa Wu

Numerical simulation of a new photon scanning tunneling microscope probe scanning imaging

Photon Scanning Tunneling Microscope (PSTM) is a near-field optical microscope that can measure local optical properties with high resolution beyond the diffraction limit and was widely applied in practices in recent years. The resolution of PSTM, which mainly depends on the shape of the taper tip, is an important issue to be discussed in the application. In this paper, the near-field distribution around a new PSTM probe is simulated by the method of 3-D Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD). In this model, a nanometric metallic pyramid is attached at the apex of the metal-coated probe. Considering the interaction between the sample and the probe tip, the near-field distribution in a section at certain height is plotted as a function of the various sample positions. In order to optimize the optical property of this kind of optic fiber probe tip, the influence of the parameters of the taper tip can also be studied. To understand the effect of the probe film and the metal tip, the electromagnetic field distribution in the vicinities of the sample and the fiber probe during the third period is plotted. Thus, these simulated results offer references for the selection of the probe shape in experiments.

The application of a novel optical SPM in biomedicine

As an analysis tool, SPM has been broadly used in biomedicine in recent years, such as AFM and SNOM; they are effective instruments in detecting life nanostructures at atomic level. Atomic force and photon scanning tunneling microscope (AF/PSTM) is one of member of SPM, it can be used to obtain sample’ optical and atomic fore images at once scanning, these images include the transmissivity image, reflection index image and topography image. This report mainly introduces the application of AF/PSTM in red blood membrane and the effect of different sample dealt with processes on the experiment result. The materials for preparing red cells membrane samples are anticoagulant blood, isotonic phosphatic buffer solution (PBS) and new two times distilled water. The images of AF/PSTM give real expression to the biology samples’ fact despite of different sample dealt with processes, which prove that AF/PSTM suits to biology sample imaging. At the same time, the optical images and the topography image of AF/PSTM of the same sample are complementary with each other; this will make AF/PSTM a facile tool to analysis biologic samples’ nanostructure. As another sample, this paper gives the application of AF/PSTM in immunoassay, the result shows that AF/PSTM is suit to analysis biologic sample, and it will become a new tool for biomedicine test.

A method to fabricate the bifunctional bent optical probes of AF/PSTM

We have developed an Atomic Force / Photon Scanning Tunneling Microscope (AF/PSTM) to eliminate the optical false image caused by topography of sample in PSTM. The key element of this system is bi-functional bent optical fiber probe, which can both be an optical cantilever and a device to collect the evanescent wave in near field of samples. In this paper, we derived a method to fabricate the bi-functional bent optical probes of AF/PSTM using communication optical fibers. The heated pulling combined with chemical etching method is proposed and developed. Fiber probes with an apex having a diameter smaller than 100nm could be produced with a controlled cone angles vary from 40 to 90 degrees. The back of the probe is finally coated with aluminum to enhance the reflection and with SiO2 to prevent Al film from oxidating in the atmosphere. This method is straightforward and fast. Using probes made with this method, the images of biology samples are obtained and the image separation is realized.

Primary application of AF/PSTM in the imaging of a biological sample

Our research group has recently developed a new type scanning probe microscope —AF/ PSTM. Using this setup, the optical false image caused by the inclination of sample surface can be eliminated; the optical image and the topography image are separated; and also two optical images (refractive index image, transmittivity image) and two AFM images (topography image, phase image) are obtained during one scanning. As a primary biologic application, this setup is engaged in the imaging of some biologic samples. The primary images ofthese biologic samples are obtained. Due to the advantage of AFIPSTM, four images can be acquired at the same time during one scanning. Consequently more information ofsample is given by comparing these images. This work shows that the AF/PSTM may be improved to be a useful tool in biology research.

Approach of FDTD algorithm for PSTM

It is important to analyze the images obtained by photon scanning tunneling microscope (PSTM). Recently some theories have been developed including finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method applied in near field optics. In this article wc extend a simple FDTD method (equivalent incident wave method) to PSTM system, which has been widely used to detect objects buried underground in geophysics. In PSTM system lighting wave is evanescent wave, that is the equivalent incident wave exciting the samples and probe over the interface. Numerical simulations show that the results ofthis method are in agreement with the results ofthe moment method and perturbation theory.

Photon scanning tunneling microscope and its application for inspection of Al2O3 waveguide film

Photon Scanning Tunneling Microscope (PSTM) is a newly developed technique. As a near-field optical microscope, it has the high resolution breaking through the diffraction limit and the advantage for easy to prepare the samples. PSTM is a useful tool in the inspection for many kinds of material film as the image containing the samples information of topography and refractive index. We have developed a PSTM with resolution 5 to approximately 10 nm and scanning range 6 X 6 micrometer. By making use of two lasers, the false image caused by inclination of sample surface can be reduced. This PSTM is engaged in the inspection of Al2O3 optical waveguide film made using ion-beam-enhanced-deposition (IBED) technique at different substrate temperature. The PSTM images of the optical waveguide film are obtained and analyzed. The PSTM images show that as the increasing of the substrate temperature during the deposition, the sample images of refractive index and topography tend to smooth and even, consequently the scattering loss can be decreased. The conclusion is that by properly increasing the temperature of the substrate during the deposition period, the scattering loss can be decreased and the property of Al2O3 optical waveguide can be improved.