Implementation of a short-tip tapping-mode tuning fork near-field scanning optical microscope

Summary We present the implementation of a short-tip tapping-modetuning fork near-field scanning optical microscope. Tappingfrequency dependences of the piezoelectric signal amplitudesfor a bare tuning fork fixed on the ceramic plate, a short-tiptapping-mode tuning fork scheme and an ordinary tapping-mode tuning fork configuration with an 80-cm optical fibreattached are demonstrated and compared. Our experimentalresults show that this new short-tip tapping-mode tuning forkscheme provides a stable and high Q factor at the tappingfrequency of the tuning fork and will be very helpful when longoptical fibre probes have to be used in an experiment. Bothcollection and excitation modes of short-tip tapping-mode tun-ing fork near-field scanning optical microscope are appliedto study the near-field optical properties of a single-modetelecommunication optical fibre and a green InGaN/GaNmultiquantum well light-emitting diode. Introduction Advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology advocate rapidprogress in new techniques and instruments which have theability to perform nanoscale fabrication or to offer high spatialresolution characterization down to the nanometre dimen-sion. Owing to its versatile applications in nanostructurefabrication (Massanell