Substrate-enhanced infrared near-field spectroscopy.
We study the amplitude and phase signals detected in infrared scattering-type near field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) when probing a thin sample layer on a substrate. We theoretically describe this situation by solving the electromagnetic scattering of a dipole near a planar sample consisting of a substrate covered by thin layers. We perform calculations to describe the effect of both weakly (Si and SiO(2)) and strongly (Au) reflecting substrates on the spectral s-SNOM signal of a thin PMMA layer. We theoretically predict, and experimentally confirm an enhancement effect in the polymer vibrational spectrum when placed on strongly reflecting substrates. We also calculate the scattered fields for a resonant tip-substrate interaction, obtaining a dramatic enhancement of the signal amplitude and spectroscopic contrast of the sample layer, together with a change of the spectral line shape. The enhanced contrast opens the possibility to perform ultra-sensitive near field infrared spectroscopy of monolayers and biomolecules.
Aizpurua
Javier
J
Donostia International Physics Center, P. Manuel Lardizabal 4, 20018 San Sebastián, Spain. aizpurua@ehu.es
Taubner
Thomas
T
García de Abajo
F Javier
FJ
Brehm
Markus
M
Hillenbrand
Rainer
R
D003198:Computer Simulation; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared / Q000295:instrumentation*