Spectroscopic study of the image formation in near-field microscopy, near an evanescent–homogeneous switching

Near-field optical microscopes provide highly resolved images of various samples. However, images are difficult to interpret owing to their sensitivity to illumination conditions. Moreover, by contrast with classical microscopy, the near-field signal combines the contributions of evanescent and propagative modes. In this study, we present results of a spectroscopic study in near-field. Our purpose is to explain how a switching of one diffracted mode from homogeneous to evanescent can modify image formation. The main point is to establish a relation between the evanescence of one diffracted mode and the fringes that are often observed in near-field experimental images. Moreover, on a metallic sample, the possible occurrence of plasmon resonance contributes to image distortion in a mainly different way. We use a Fourier series Rayleigh 3D method to explain image formation.