title: Nanoscale chemical mapping using three-dimensional adiabatic compression of surface plasmon polaritons.
abstract: The fields of plasmonics, Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy have recently undergone considerable development, but independently of one another. By combining these techniques, a range of complementary information could be simultaneously obtained at a single molecule level. Here, we report the design, fabrication and application of a photonic-plasmonic device that is fully compatible with atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Our approach relies on the generation and localization of surface plasmon polaritons by means of adiabatic compression through a metallic tapered waveguide to create strongly enhanced Raman excitation in a region just a few nanometres across. The tapered waveguide can also be used as an atomic force microscope tip. Using the device, topographic, chemical and structural information about silicon nanocrystals may be obtained with a spatial resolution of 7 nm.
authors: Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), NanoBioScience Laboratory, via Morego 30, I16163 Genova, Italy.
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: De Angelis
authors: Gobind
authors: G
authors: Das
authors: Patrizio
authors: P
authors: Candeloro
authors: Maddalena
authors: M
authors: Patrini
authors: Matteo
authors: M
authors: Galli
authors: Alpan
authors: A
authors: Bek
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Lazzarino
authors: Ivan
authors: I
authors: Maksymov
authors: Carlo
authors: C
authors: Liberale
authors: Lucio Claudio
authors: LC
authors: Andreani
authors: Enzo
authors: E
authors: Di Fabrizio