Eur. Phys. J. AP 5, 289-295 (1999)
https://doi.org/10.1051/epjap:1999141

Magneto-optical Faraday imaging with an apertureless scanning near field optical microscope^*

¹ Laboratoire de Nanotechnologie et d'Instrumentation Optique, Université de technologie de Troyes, 12 rue Marie Curie, B.P. 2060, 10010 Troyes Cedex, France
² Laboratoire Louis Néel (CNRS), 25 avenue des Martyrs, B.P. 166, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France

Corresponding author: olivier.bergossi@univ-troyes.fr

Received: 3 July 1998
Revised: 23 October 1998
Accepted: 19 November 1998
Published online: 15 March 1999

Abstract

We have developed an apertureless Scanning Near field Optical Microscope (SNOM) in transmission, devoted to near field magneto-optics. Our apertureless SNOM combines an inverted optical microscope, which has been adapted to Faraday effect imaging, with a commercial stand-alone Scanning Probe Microscope, used in Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) mode. Two different probes are validated as apertureless SNOM tips: a home-made etched tungsten wire and a commercial AFM silicon probe. We present and analyze preliminary images of the doMayn structure in iron garnets. They indicate a SNOM resolution clearly in the sub-micrometric range. Besides, the near field magneto-optical image presents some unexpected features, not revealed in far field images.