title: Near-field optical microscope image formation: a theoretical and experimental study.
abstract: A quantitative comparison between theory and experiment has been carried out for a collection-mode near-field optical microscope. A 30-nm (lateral dimension) cylindrical dielectric sample was imaged. This image was compared with the result of theoretical calculations that used a classical macroscopic nonglobal model based on the excitation theorem. Good agreement was obtained, with image inversion, edge enhancement, and edge asymmetry correctly predicted.
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Zvyagin
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohtsu