Application of micro solid immersion lens as probe for near-field scanning microscopy

We present an experimental and theoretical study of the immersing properties of a micron-sized solid immersion lens (μ-SIL) and evaluate its capabilities of functioning as a near-field probe. It was found that the μ-SIL reduces an impinging focused spot by a factor of approximately its refractive index, similarly to a macroscopic solid immersion lens. This reduced immersed spot is used to investigate the visibility of a periodic grating structure. Results show an improvement in the visibility by approximately 30% when compared to confocal microscopy, demonstrating the potential application of these tiny micro-lenses as a near-field probe in scanning microscopy and other high-resolution optical systems.