散射式太赫兹扫描近场光学显微技术研究

基于散射式近场探测原理,设计并搭建了散射式太赫兹扫描近场光学显微系统(THz s-SNOM),实现了纳米量级空间分辨率的太赫兹近场显微成像测量。该系统以输出频率范围为0.1~0.3THz的太赫兹倍频模块为发射源,通过纳米探针的针尖产生纳米光源与样品相互作用,并将样品表面的倏逝波转化为可在远场测量的辐射波。通过探针逐点扫描样品表面,同时获得了样品表面的形貌图和太赫兹近场显微图。该系统的显微分辨率取决于探针针尖的曲率半径,而与太赫兹波的波长无关。使用该系统测量了金薄膜/硅衬底样品和石墨烯样品的近场显微图,结果表明,近场显微的空间分辨率优于60nm,波长与空间分辨率之比高达λ/26000。     

半导体载流子分布的太赫兹近场显微表征

基于自建的太赫兹散射型扫描近场显微镜系统（THz s-SNOM）,研究了其在显微表征半导体载流子浓度分布中的应用。对基于半导体硅的静态随机存取存储器（SRAM）的纳米结构进行了近场显微成像测量,并采用可见光调控本征硅样品表面的载流子浓度,实现了不同浓度（10¹⁴～10¹⁷ cm⁻³）光生载流子的近场检测。结果表明,此THz s-SNOM能够对半导体微纳结构的载流子分布进行高空间分辨率的显微表征,测量结果与基于偶极子模型的计算结果具有较好的吻合度。     

单层MoS2和WS2的太赫兹近场显微成像研究

采用太赫兹散射式扫描近场光学显微镜(THz s-SNOM)研究了化学气相沉积法制备的单层MoS₂和WS₂晶粒的太赫兹近场响应。在没有可见光激发时,未探测到可分辨的太赫兹近场响应,说明晶粒具有较低的掺杂载流子浓度。有可见光激发时,由于光生载流子的太赫兹近场响应,能够测得与晶粒轮廓完全吻合的太赫兹近场显微图。在相同的光激发条件下,MoS₂的太赫兹近场响应强于WS₂,反映了两者之间载流子浓度或迁移率的差异。研究结果表明,THz s-SNOM兼具超高的空间分辨率和对光生载流子的灵敏探测能力,对二维半导体材料和器件光电特性的微观机理研究具有独特的优势。     

太赫兹光致力近场显微成像技术及应用研究

设计并搭建了太赫兹光致力显微成像系统(THz PiFM),首次在太赫兹波段实现了近场光力纳米显微成像测量。该系统基于原子力显微镜,利用探针对所受力的灵敏检测能力,通过探测探针与样品之间近场偶极相互作用产生的光场梯度力,实现无探测器的太赫兹近场显微成像。利用该系统,对可见光激发下的单层MoS₂晶粒进行了近场纳米显微成像表征,并分析了晶粒边缘近场光力信号增强的机制。研究结果表明,THz PiFM对二维材料中的载流子具有高灵敏的探测能力。与传统的太赫兹近场显微成像技术相比,THz PiFM无需太赫兹探测器,而且可获得更加优越的空间分辨率和成像信噪比,是一种低成本、高性能的新型太赫兹近场显微成像技术。     

太赫兹超表面近场等离子体涡旋偏移器件设计

为了提升太赫兹（terahertz,THz）通讯容量,设计了一种基于单层超表面的激发近场等离子体涡旋偏移的太赫兹器件。基于几何相位超表面,采用FITD（时域有限积分）软件,对该器件的近场涡旋偏移进行了仿真研究。结果表明,所设计的器件在圆偏振光的入射下,能够实现空间任意位置的偏移。该类功能器件在一定程度上提升了太赫兹通讯容量,可应用于6G技术中。     

基于半导体的可调谐太赫兹滤波器研究

太赫兹滤波器在通信、传感、成像等领域有着广泛的应用。提出了一个基于半导体材料砷化镓的周期性微结构可调谐太赫兹滤波器,并对半导体材料的电介质特性以及微结构的太赫兹滤波特性进行模拟研究。提出了基于光栅结构的太赫兹滤波器,用CST软件时域有限差分法(FDTD)进行模拟仿真,0.1~5.0THz频段的太赫兹波垂直入射光栅表面,在225~325K范围内可获得工作频率为0.35~1.51 THz,1.16 THz的滤波带宽,同时保持透过率在85%以上,这对太赫兹滤波器的滤波带宽和透过率的提升具有重大意义。     

220GHz脉冲成像系统设计与应用研究

太赫兹（THz）成像是太赫兹技术的一个重要应用,在安全检查、环境监测、生物和医学的无损检测等方面都发挥着重要的作用。本文主要对太赫兹成像技术进行研究,使用微波源,通过混频和倍频方式得到太赫兹频率源,采用频率步进脉冲体制,设计和实现了一套220GHz太赫兹主动成像系统,并对太赫兹技术的应用技术进行了研究。     

基于太赫兹技术的锂电池电极涂层质量检测

为了对锂电池的电极涂覆层材料厚度以及均匀性进行无损检测,弥补传统检测方式辐射性强、对检测人员伤害大以及太赫兹远场成像分辨率低的缺点,设计研制了一套测量探头能够灵活移动的太赫兹近场光谱检测系统。采用太赫兹微米探针和利用近场技术对涂覆层进行探测,实现了微米级检测。检测结果表明,本系统能够发现传统β射线和X射线等检测手段无法识别到的厚度不均匀缺陷,可为锂电池电极涂覆层的质量检测提供一种高分辨率的、快速的太赫兹无损安全检测手段。     

周期性结构的石墨烯对太赫兹波的吸收特性研究

针对在六角孔形周期性结构阵列铜网上生长而成的石墨烯,对其在太赫兹波段的吸收进行了研究与讨论。用太赫兹时域光谱耦合系统对石墨烯样品进行检测,检测结果表明,在0.7~1.4THz范围内,因石墨烯样品含有的杂质增强了对太赫兹波的吸收,进而增大了整体的吸收率,所以片状石墨烯样品的吸收率约为4%,比以往文献中记载的2.3%高。因部分太赫兹波被石墨烯周期性结构形成的等离子带吸收,还有少部分太赫兹波被周期性结构干涉和散射,周期性结构石墨烯的吸收率增大了约1.5倍。     

基于单层超表面的双频太赫兹波线偏振变圆偏振转换器

提出了一种基于单层超表面的双频太赫兹波线偏振变圆偏振转换器。该偏振转换器采用两个不同尺寸的十字型金属缝阵列结构形成两个线偏振变圆偏振转换频点,从而实现双频的太赫兹波线偏振变圆偏振转换。计算结果表明,设计的偏振转换器能在0.760THz和1.068THz将一束线偏振太赫兹波转换为圆偏振太赫兹波。该双频的线偏振变圆偏振转换器仅由单层的超表面组成,结构简单易于制备,因而为操控电磁波和设计新颖的太赫兹波器件提供了参照。     

Towards phonon photonics: scattering-type near-field optical microscopy reveals phonon-enhanced near-field interaction

Diffraction limits the spatial resolution in classical microscopy or the dimensions of optical circuits to about half the illumination wavelength. Scanning near-field microscopy can overcome this limitation by exploiting the evanescent near fields existing close to any illuminated object. We use a scattering-type near-field optical microscope (s-SNOM) that uses the illuminated metal tip of an atomic force microscope (AFM) to act as scattering near-field probe. The presented images are direct evidence that the s-SNOM enables optical imaging at a spatial resolution on a 10 nm scale, independent of the wavelength used (λ=633 nm and 10 μm). Operating the microscope at specific mid-infrared frequencies we found a tip-induced phonon-polariton resonance on flat polar crystals such as SiC and Si₃N₄. Being a spectral fingerprint of any polar material such phonon-enhanced near-field interaction has enormous applicability in nondestructive, material-specific infrared microscopy at nanoscale resolution. The potential of s-SNOM to study eigenfields of surface polaritons in nanostructures opens the door to the development of phonon photonics—a proposed infrared nanotechnology that uses localized or propagating surface phonon polaritons for probing, manipulating and guiding infrared light in nanoscale devices, analogous to plasmon photonics.     

Polarization contrast in reflection near-field optical microscopy with uncoated fibre tips

Using cross-hatched, patterned semiconductor surfaces and round 20-nm-thick gold pads on semiconductor wafers, we investigate the imaging characteristics of a reflection near-field optical microscope with an uncoated fibre tip for different polarization configurations and light wavelengths. It is shown that cross-polarized detection allows one to effectively suppress far-field components in the detected signal and to realize imaging of optical contrast on the sub-wavelength scale. The sensitivity window of our microscope, i.e. the scale on which near-field optical images represent mainly optical contrast, is found to be ≈100 nm for light wavelengths in the visible region. We demonstrate imaging of near-field components of a dipole field and purely dielectric contrast (related to well-width fluctuations in a semiconductor quantum well) with a spatial resolution of ≈100 nm. The results obtained show that such a near-field technique can be used for polarization-sensitive imaging with reasonably high spatial resolution and suggest a number of applications for this technique.     

Polarization contrast in reflection near-field optical microscopy with uncoated fibre tips

Using cross-hatched, patterned semiconductor surfaces and round 20-nm-thick gold pads on semiconductor wafers, we investigate the imaging characteristics of a reflection near-field optical microscope with an uncoated fibre tip for different polarization configurations and light wavelengths. It is shown that cross-polarized detection allows one to effectively suppress far-field components in the detected signal and to realize imaging of optical contrast on the subwavelength scale. The sensitivity window of our microscope, i.e. the scale on which near-field optical images represent mainly optical contrast, is found to be approximately 100 nm for light wavelengths in the visible region. We demonstrate imaging of near-field components of a dipole field and purely dielectric contrast (related to well-width fluctuations in a semiconductor quantum well) with a spatial resolution of approximately 100 nm. The results obtained show that such a near-field technique can be used for polarization-sensitive imaging with reasonably high spatial resolution and suggest a number of applications for this technique.     

Enhancing image contrast of carbon nanotubes on cellular background using helium ion microscope by varying helium ion fluence

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have become an important nano entity for biomedical applications. Conventional methods of their imaging, often cannot be applied in biological samples due to an inadequate spatial resolution or poor contrast between the CNTs and the biological sample. Here we report a unique and effective detection method, which uses differences in conductivities of carbon nanotubes and HeLa cells. The technique involves the use of a helium ion microscope to image the sample with the surface charging artefacts created by the He⁺ and neutralised by electron flood gun. This enables us to obtain a few nanometre resolution images of CNTs in HeLa Cells with high contrast, which was achieved by tailoring the He⁺ fluence. Charging artefacts can be efficiently removed for conductive CNTs by a low amount of electrons, the fluence of which is not adequate to discharge the cell surface, resulting in high image contrast. Thus, this technique enables rapid detection of any conducting nano structures on insulating cellular background even in large fields of view and fine spatial resolution. The technique demonstrated has wider applications for researchers seeking enhanced contrast and high‐resolution imaging of any conducting entity in a biological matrix – a commonly encountered issue of importance in drug delivery, tissue engineering and toxicological studies.     

Apertureless near-field scanning Raman microscopy using reflection scattering geometry

The combination of near-field scanning optical microscopy and Raman spectroscopy provides chemical/structural specific information with nanometer spatial resolution, which are critically important for a wide range of applications, including the study of Si devices, nanodevices, quantum dots, single molecules of biological samples. In this paper, we describe our near-field Raman study using apertureless probes. Our system has two important features, critical to practical applications. (1) The near-field Raman enhancement was achieved by Ag coating of the metal probes, without any preparation of the sample, and (2) while all other apertureless near-field Raman systems were constructed in transmission mode, our system works in the reflection mode, making near-field Raman study a reality for any samples. We have obtained the first 1D Raman mapping of a real Si device with 1s exposure time. This is a very significant development in near-field scanning Raman microscopy as it is the first demonstration that this technique can be used for imaging purpose because of the short integration time. In addition, the metal tips used in our set-up can be utilized to make simultaneous AFM and electrical mappings such as resistance and capacitance that are critical parameters for device applications.     

Application of an advanced maximum likelihood estimation restoration method for enhanced‐resolution and contrast in second‐harmonic generation microscopy

Second‐harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy has gained popularity because of its ability to perform submicron, label‐free imaging of noncentrosymmetric biological structures, such as fibrillar collagen in the extracellular matrix environment of various organs with high contrast and specificity. Because SHG is a two‐photon coherent scattering process, it is difficult to define a point spread function (PSF) for this modality. Hence, compared to incoherent two‐photon processes like two‐photon fluorescence, it is challenging to apply the various PSF‐engineering methods to improve the spatial resolution to be close to the diffraction limit. Using a synthetic PSF and application of an advanced maximum likelihood estimation (AdvMLE) deconvolution algorithm, we demonstrate restoration of the spatial resolution in SHG images to that closer to the theoretical diffraction limit. The AdvMLE algorithm adaptively and iteratively develops a PSF for the supplied image and succeeds in improving the signal to noise ratio (SNR) for images where the SHG signals are derived from various sources such as collagen in tendon and myosin in heart sarcomere. Approximately 3.5 times improvement in SNR is observed for tissue images at depths of up to ～480 nm, which helps in revealing the underlying helical structures in collagen fibres with an ～26% improvement in the amplitude contrast in a fibre pitch. Our approach could be adapted to noisy and low resolution modalities such as micro‐nano CT and MRI, impacting precision of diagnosis and treatment of human diseases.     

Progress in terahertz nondestructive testing: A review

Terahertz (THz) waves, whose frequencies range between microwave and infrared, are part of the electromagnetic spectrum. A gap exists in THz literature because investigating THz waves is difficult due to the weak characteristics of the waves and the lack of suitable THz sources and detectors. Recently, THz nondestructive testing (NDT) technology has become an interesting topic. This review outlines several typical THz devices and systems and engineering applications of THz NDT techniques in composite materials, thermal barrier coatings, car paint films, marine protective coatings, and pharmaceutical tablet coatings. THz imaging has higher resolution but lower penetration than ultrasound imaging. This review presents the significance and advantages provided by the emerging THz NDT technique.