High speed sub-micrometric microscopy using optical polymer microlens

TLDR: In this article, a high speed scanning submicronic microscopy (SSM) using a low cost polymer microlens integrated at the extremity of an optical fiber is described.

Abstract: We report the high speed scanning submicronic microscopy (SSM) using a low cost polymer microlens integrated at the extremity of an optical fiber. These microlenses are fabricated by a free-radical photopolymerization method. Using a polymer microlens with a radius of curvature of 250 nm, a sub-micrometric gold pattern is imaged experimentally by SSM. Different distances between the tip and the sample are used with a high scanning speed of 200 cm/s. In particular, metallic absorption contrasts are described with an optical spatial resolution of 250 nm at the wavelength of 532 nm. Moreover, finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations concerning the focal lengths of microlenses with different geometries and heights support the experimental data.