Subdiffraction far-field imaging of luminescent single-walled carbon nanotubes.
Far-field near-infrared fluorescence microscopy of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) has been hampered by the diffraction limit to resolution. A new analysis method is presented that allows subwavelength (<lambda/10) mapping of single-molecule chemical reaction sites on semiconducting SWNTs, enabling precise localization of excitonic luminescence regions along the nanotube axis through a nonperturbing, far-field optical measurement. This method is applied to reveal the subdiffraction lengths, curvatures, and defects of luminescent SWNTs in unprecedented detail.
Cognet
Laurent
L
Department of Chemistry, Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, and Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, USA. lcognet@u-bordeaux1.fr
Tsyboulski
Dmitri A
DA
Weisman
R Bruce
RB
D008163:Luminescent Measurements / Q000379:methods*; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size; D012031:Refractometry / Q000379:methods*