Active bimorph-based tapping-mode distance control for scanning near-field optical microscopy of biological samples in liquid.
Fiche publication
Date publication
octobre 2006
Auteurs
Membres identifiés du Cancéropôle Est :
Pr PIOT Olivier
Tous les auteurs :
Lei FH, Huang L, Piot O, Trussardi A, Manfait M, Shang G, Troyon M
Lien Pubmed
Résumé
Commonly used shear force scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) of soft biological samples is more critical to implement in aqueous environment than in air. A tapping-mode distance control based on a rectangular piezoelectric bimorph cantilever attached vertically by a straight fiber tip as force sensor for SNOM is introduced. The bimorph lever serving as both the probe dither and the force responder operates in flexural mode with a spring constant k=3.7x10(3) N/m. The sensitivity of the sensor is enhanced through the increase in lever's quality factor (Q) and the usage of a higher eigenmode. Experimental results reveal that the describe sensor can operate in liquid with an effective Q up to 10(3) at its second eigenfrequecy f(2)=18.8 kHz. High sensitivity of the sensor is demonstrated by imaging soft biological samples. Near-field optical resolution of better than 100 nm on red blood cells in water is obtained. Compared to the existing tapping mode SNOM setups, our approach is compact, sensitive, lacking in parasitic optical background, and easy to practice in liquid. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.
Référence
J Appl Phys. 2006 Oct 15;100(8):084317.