A novel Tapping SNOM: Specifications and performances

A new scanning near field optical microscope operating in the intermittent contact mode (Tapping SNOM) using a non-bent optical fiber is presented. The main advantages in terms of versatility and quality of the collected signal are described together with some results obtained studying fluorescence on material science samples and spectroscopy images of living cells. © 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.