High resolution optical microscopy with electron-beam excitation

We have developed an electron beam excitation assisted near-field scanning optical microscope and demonstrated resolution greater than 50 nm. The microscope has a few tens nanometer spatial resolution laterally and makes it possible to observe dynamic behaviors of living biological specimens in various surroundings such as air or liquids. In the microscope, a light source in a few nanometers size is excited by focused electron beam in a luminescent film. Scan speed of nanometric light source is faster than that of the small aperture in conventional near-field scanning optical microscopes. The optical near-field microscope enables to observe optical constants such as absorption, refractive index, polarization properties, and its dynamic behaviors in nanometer scale. The developed microscope opens new microscopy applications to in nano-technology and nano-science. We also present direct excitation of fluorescented labelling cells.