Near-Field Volume Scanning Optical Tomography

 

The Near-field Volume Scanning Optical Tomography (NVSOT) improves upon the existing Near-field Scanning Optical Microscopy (NSOM) modalities by extending the data acquisition to obtain the tomographic information of the sample without multi-directional measurements or multi-angle illuminations. Three-dimensional imaging is a much desired capability in the field of life sciences and nanotechnology; current techniques require multiple image acquisitions and complicated optical set-up.

Measurement of the volume above the sample with a strongly scattering tip in the NVSOT based system induces higher order interactions which contains the tomographic information required to generate a three-dimensional image of the sample.

Near-field Volume Scanning Optical Tomography (NVSOT) enables collection of tomographic data for the reconstruction of three dimensional images of sub-wavelength scale samples in the near-field of a strongly scattering tip. This technology eliminates the need for multi-directional measurements of the scattered field in the illumination mode or multi-angle illuminations in the collection mode. Scanning the three dimensional volume above the sample amounts to acquiring multiple NSOM images, data independence is ensured by the higher order interactions between the probe tip and the sample.

Applications

For optical microscopy and three-dimensional imaging of sub-wavelength scale samples in the fields of:

  • Biological Sciences
  • Material Sciences
  • Nanotechnology

Benefits

  • Volume scan of the surface above the sample with a strongly scattering tip enables tomographic reconstruction of the sample.
  • Eliminates the need for multi-directional measurements of the scattered field in the illumination mode.
  • Eliminates the need for multi-angle illumination for measurements in the collection mode.
  • The higher order interaction between the sample and the tip ensure data independence.