Scanning near-field optical microscopy using semiconductor nanocrystals as a local fluorescence and fluorescence resonance energy transfer source.
Local fluorescence probes based on CdSe semiconductor nanocrystals were prepared and tested by recording scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) images of calibration samples and fluorescence resonance energy transfer SNOM (FRET SNOM) images of acceptor dye molecules inhomogeneously deposited onto a glass substrate. Thousands of nanocrystals contribute to the signal when this probe is used as a local fluorescence source while only tens of those (the most apical) are involved in imaging for the FRET SNOM operation mode. The dip-coating method used to make the probe enables diminishing the number of active fluorescent nanocrystals easily. Prospects to realize FRET SNOM based on a single fluorescence centre using such an approach are briefly described.
Shubeita
G T
GT
Institut de Physique de la Matière Condensée, Université de Lausanne, BSP, CH1015 Lausanne-Dorigny, Switzerland.
Sekatskii
S K
SK
Dietler
G
G
Potapova
I
I
Mews
A
A
Basché
T
T