Near Field Scanning Optical Microscope for Organic Photonic Materials

Abstract : In this project, we requested funds from the Air Force of Scientific Research (AFOSR) under DOD's Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) to acquire a near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM). Near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM) is a unique research tool commercialized in the past two years, which provides unprecedented optical resolution defying the diffraction limit, as small as 1/20 laterally and 1/100 vertically. The funds from AFOSR has enabled us to purchase and install a state-of-the-art NSOM from TopoMetric. We have successfully installed and tested the instrument. A number of experiments have been performed using the instrument. The NSOM has proved to be a powerful instrument which allows innovative new approaches to address fundamental issues and enhance the existing and future DOD sponsored research projects in the University of Rochester. The preliminary application of the NSOM has already demonstrated the great potential of NSOM, its value to DOD sponsored research, and its usefulness for training future scientists and engineers for the DOD interests.