Optical interaction and its effect on microscopy

Photonic Research Institute, National Laboratory of AIST, Tsukuba, Japan

3.30pm, Friday 22 February 2002, Virtual Reality Theatre (AS406), Applied Sciences Building, Swinburne

Interaction between the light and a metallic/dielectric surface can provide interesting effects for the microscope technology. I would like to talk about the following topics concerning this interaction effect:

1) For the imaging analysis of the near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM), we had better have knowledge about this interaction to recognize the surface status of a sample. I will show the effects given by a near-field optical interaction.

2) By using this kind of interaction, optical tweezers can exert attractive force upon a metallic surface, which has been believed to be impossible in ray optics.

3) Optical interaction between particles can enhance an electric field. Employing this effect, I proposed a novel type of optical waveguide. This method seems to be similar to the photonic-crystal waveguide, but the proposed method is based on quite different concept.

Back to 2002 programme