title: Apertureless near-field optical microscopy: differences between heterodyne interferometric and non-interferometric images.
abstract: We analyze simulations of the image generation process in apertureless Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy to study the differences between heterodyne interferometric and non-interferometric detection schemes implemented in experiments. Beyond the well-known possibilities of interferometry to enhance signals and extract optical phase information, we find that heterodyne interferometric detection may in fact lead to more robust and easier to interpret experimental results. Further, our results illustrate how simulations that do not include the use of interferometric detection in a given experiment can lead to significant disagreements with the measurements.
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institut für Festkörperforschung, Stuttgart, Germany. ruben_esteban@ehu.es
authors.forename: Ruben
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Esteban
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vogelgesang
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kern
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D004867:Equipment Design; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D007368:Interferometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008853:Microscopy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012542:Scattering, Radiation