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New dimension in nano-imaging: breaking through the diffraction limit with scanning near-field optical microscopy

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Abstract

In recent years scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) has developed into a powerful surface analytical technique for observing specimens with lateral resolution equal to or even better than 100 nm. A large number of applications, from material science to biology, have been reported. In this paper, two different kinds of near-field optical microscopy, aperture and scattering-type SNOM, are reviewed together with recent studies in surface analysis and biology. Here, near-field optical techniques are discussed in comparison with related methods, such as scanning probe and standard optical microscopy, with respect to their specific advantages and fields of application.

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  1. ISAS—Institute for Analytical Sciences, Bunsen-Kirchhoff-Str. 11, 44139, Dortmund, Germany

    Akiko Rasmussen & Volker Deckert

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  1. Akiko Rasmussen
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  2. Volker Deckert
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Correspondence to Volker Deckert.

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Rasmussen, A., Deckert, V. New dimension in nano-imaging: breaking through the diffraction limit with scanning near-field optical microscopy. Anal Bioanal Chem 381, 165–172 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-004-2896-3

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