Scanning Probe Optical Spectroscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) can be used to enhance a near-field optical signal for spectroscopic or microscopic information, aiding in chemical characterization on the scale of tens of nanometers.

Techniques within this category are operated in modes allowing point spectroscopy, spectroscopic mapping, or imaging at specified wavelengths.  Illuminating the sample with a specified wavelength allows local chemical imaging/mapping with lateral resolution in the tens of nanometers.  Point spectroscopy aids in chemical identification at a single location on the sample.  The resolution enhancement compared to far-field optical characterization comes from the AFM tip.

Scanning probe optical spectroscopy and imaging, AFM+optics, and chemical AFM techniques available in the MRL facilities include

Equipment Name Contact Location
Equipment Name Contact Location
Neaspec NanoFTIR/NIM AFM, SSNOM
  • Julio Antonio Nieri D Soares soares
  • Kathy Walsh kawalsh
0022 Supercon

Chemical information from FTIR near-field reflection spectroscopy/imaging and topographic characterization with 20 nm spatial resolution

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Horiba XploRA-nano TERS/TEPL
  • Julio Antonio Nieri D Soares soares
  • Kathy Walsh kawalsh
0022 Supercon

This equipment was funded through the Illinois MRSEC, NSF Award Number DMR-1720633.

The XploRA PLUS Raman Microscope head-based tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) and tip enhanced photoluminescence (TEPL) from Horiba, Inc. is a fully integrated TERS/TEPL system based on SmartSPM state of the art scanning probe microscope (SPM) and XploRA Raman micro-spectrometer.

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Molecular Vista PiFM-Raman
  • Kathy Walsh kawalsh
  • Julio Antonio Nieri D Soares soares
0022 Supercon

The Vista One PiFM-Raman microscope from Molecular Vista enables nano-IR measurements with very high resolution (~10nm lateral resolution for mapping and spectroscopy) in the wavenumber range 1908 - 752 cm-1.

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