Correlated topographic and spectroscopic imaging by combined atomic force microscopy and optical microscopy

• Published in: Journal of luminescence Vol. 107; no. 1; pp. 4 - 12
• Main Authors: Hu, Dehong, Micic, Miodrag, Klymyshyn, Nicholas, Suh, Yung Doug, Lu, H.Peter
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.05.2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Atomic force microscopy; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Exact sciences and technology; Fluorescence lifetime imaging; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Physics; Fluorescence lifetime imaging; Atomic force microscopy; Finite element method; Lifetime; Optical microscopy; Local field; Imaging; Fluorescence; Illumination; Nanostructures; Electromagnetic fields; Spatial resolution
• ISSN: 0022-2313; 1872-7883
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jlumin.2003.12.045

Near-field scanning microscopy is a powerful approach to obtain topographic and spectroscopic characterization simultaneously for imaging biological and nanoscale systems. To achieve optical imaging at high spatial resolution beyond the diffraction limit, aperture-less metallic scanning tips have been utilized to enhance the laser illumination local electromagnetic field at the apex of the scanning tips. In this paper, we discuss and review our work on combined fluorescence imaging with AFM-metallic tip enhancement, finite element method simulation of the tip enhancement, and their applications on AFM-tip enhanced fluorescence lifetime imaging (AFM-FLIM) and correlated AFM and FLIM imaging of the living cells.