title: Breaking the diffraction barrier: optical microscopy on a nanometric scale.
abstract: In near-field scanning optical microscopy, a light source or detector with dimensions less than the wavelength (lambda) is placed in close proximity (lambda/50) to a sample to generate images with resolution better than the diffraction limit. A near-field probe has been developed that yields a resolution of approximately 12 nm ( approximately lambda/43) and signals approximately 10(4)- to 10(6)-fold larger than those reported previously. In addition, image contrast is demonstrated to be highly polarization dependent. With these probes, near-field microscopy appears poised to fulfill its promise by combining the power of optical characterization methods with nanometric spatial resolution.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Betzig
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Trautman
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Weiner
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Kostelak