Abstract

Individual carbocyanine dye molecules in a sub-monolayer spread have been imaged with near-field scanning optical microscopy. Molecules can be repeatedly detected and spatially localized (to ∼λ/50 where λ is the wavelength of light) with a sensitivity of at least 0.005 molecules/(Hz) 1/2 and the orientation of each molecular dipole can be determined. This information is exploited to map the electric field distribution in the near-field aperture with molecular spatial resolution.

Keywords

MicroscopyOptical microscopeMoleculeMonolayerLambdaDipoleResolution (logic)WavelengthOpticsNear-field scanning optical microscopeAperture (computer memory)Field (mathematics)Electric fieldMaterials scienceMolecular physicsChemistryPhysicsNanotechnologyScanning electron microscope

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Publication Info

Year
1993
Type
article
Volume
262
Issue
5138
Pages
1422-1425
Citations
1245
Access
Closed

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Eric Betzig, Robert J. Chichester (1993). Single Molecules Observed by Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy. Science , 262 (5138) , 1422-1425. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.262.5138.1422

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DOI
10.1126/science.262.5138.1422