Parabolic mirror-assisted tip-enhanced spectroscopic imaging for non-transparent materials

A versatile and efficient tip-enhanced spectroscopic imaging technique based on a parabolic mirror (PM) assisted near-field optical microscope is demonstrated. The replacement of the conventional objective lens with a parabolic mirror allows the non-restricted investigation of sample materials regarding their opacity. in addition, an improved signal collection efficiency and effective excitation of the longitudinal plasmonic oscillation in the tip apex are obtained. The capabilities of PM-assisted tip-enhanced Raman (TER) and photoluminescence (PL) imaging in distinguishing the individual domains made of different chemical components in poly (3-hexythiophene)/[6, 6]-penyl-C-61 butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT/PCBM) solar cell blend film and in the investigation of the plasmonic properties of geometrically well-defined Au cones are demonstrated. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.