Inventors:
Peter A. Wolff - Boston MA
Assignee:
NEC Research Institute, Inc. - Princeton NJ
International Classification:
G02B 626, G02B 2100
Abstract:
A tapered probe tip for use in near-field scanning optical microscopy is coated with a sheath of metal material having a plasma frequency comparable to optical frequencies. Alternatively, the sheath material has lower energy plasmons. The preferred sheath material is silver. Other preferred sheath materials are potassium, Rb, cesium, tungsten oxide, sodium tungsten oxide and Re oxide.