IR-SNOM on lithium fluoride films with regular arrays based on colour centres

LiF films have been grown on silicon substrate, irradiated with soft x-rays to create fluorescent regular micrometric-spaced arrays based on colour centres, and studied by Scanning Near-field Optical Microscope (SNOM). Strong variations in the local reflectivity have been observed in the infrared region between 6.1 and 9.2 mum and tentatively ascribed to a modulated variation of the refractive index of the coloured zone with respect to that of the uncoloured LiF matrix. (C) 2003 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.