A Cuche et al 2009 Nanotechnology 20 015603 doi:10.1088/0957-4484/20/1/015603
A Cuche1, B Masenelli2,3,4,7, G Ledoux2,3,5, D Amans2,3,5, C Dujardin2,3,5, Y Sonnefraud1,6, P Mélinon2,3,4 and S Huant1,7
Show affiliationsWe present a new kind of fluorescent oxide nanoparticle (NP) with properties well suited to active-tip based near-field optics. These particles with an average diameter in the 5–10 nm range are produced by low energy cluster beam deposition (LECBD) from a YAG:Ce3+ target. They are studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), cathodoluminescence, near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) and fluorescence in the photon-counting mode. Particles of extreme photo-stability as small as 10 nm in size are observed. These emitters are validated as building blocks of active NSOM tips by coating a standard optical tip with a 10 nm thick layer of YAG:Ce3+ particles directly in the LECBD reactor and by subsequently performing NSOM imaging of test surfaces.
78.67.Bf Nanocrystals and nanoparticles
79.60.Jv Interfaces; heterostructures; nanostructures
78.55.Hx Other solid inorganic materials
68.37.Lp Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
Condensed matter: electrical, magnetic and optical
Issue 1 (7 January 2009)
Received 22 July 2008, in final form 7 October 2008
Published 8 December 2008
A Cuche et al 2009 Nanotechnology 20 015603
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