Toward mid-infrared, subdiffraction, spectral-mapping of human cells and tissue: SNIM (scanning near-field infrared microscopy) tip fabrication

Scanning near-field infrared microscopy (SNIM) potentially enables subdiffraction, broadband mid-infrared (MIR:3–25-μm wavelength range) spectral-mapping of human cells and tissue for real-time molecular sensing, with prospective use in disease diagnosis. SNIM requires an MIR-transmitting tip of sma...

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Main Authors: Athanasiou, Giorgos S., Ernst, Johanna, Furniss, David, Benson, Trevor M., Chauhan, Jasbinder, Middleton, John, Parmenter, Christopher D.J., Fay, Mike W., Neate, Nigel C., Shiryaev, Vladimir, Churbanov, Mikhail F., Seddon, Angela B.
Format: Article
Published: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 2016
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Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/31997/
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author Athanasiou, Giorgos S.
Ernst, Johanna
Furniss, David
Benson, Trevor M.
Chauhan, Jasbinder
Middleton, John
Parmenter, Christopher D.J.
Fay, Mike W.
Neate, Nigel C.
Shiryaev, Vladimir
Churbanov, Mikhail F.
Seddon, Angela B.
author_facet Athanasiou, Giorgos S.
Ernst, Johanna
Furniss, David
Benson, Trevor M.
Chauhan, Jasbinder
Middleton, John
Parmenter, Christopher D.J.
Fay, Mike W.
Neate, Nigel C.
Shiryaev, Vladimir
Churbanov, Mikhail F.
Seddon, Angela B.
author_sort Athanasiou, Giorgos S.
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Scanning near-field infrared microscopy (SNIM) potentially enables subdiffraction, broadband mid-infrared (MIR:3–25-μm wavelength range) spectral-mapping of human cells and tissue for real-time molecular sensing, with prospective use in disease diagnosis. SNIM requires an MIR-transmitting tip of small aperture for photon collection. Here, chalcogenide-glass optical fibers are reproducibly tapered at one end to form a MIR transmitting tip for SNIM. A wet-etching method is used to form the tip. The tapering sides of the tip are Al-coated. These Al-coated tapered-tips exhibit near-field power-confinement when acting either as the launch-end or exit-end of the MIR optical fiber. We report first time optimal cleaving of the end of the tapered tip using focused ion beam milling. A flat aperture is produced at the end of the tip, which is orthogonal to the fiber-axis and of controlled diameter. A FIB-cleaved aperture is used to collect MIR spectra of cells mounted on a transflection plate, under illumination of a synchrotron- generated wideband MIR beam.
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spelling nottingham-319972020-05-04T17:36:58Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/31997/ Toward mid-infrared, subdiffraction, spectral-mapping of human cells and tissue: SNIM (scanning near-field infrared microscopy) tip fabrication Athanasiou, Giorgos S. Ernst, Johanna Furniss, David Benson, Trevor M. Chauhan, Jasbinder Middleton, John Parmenter, Christopher D.J. Fay, Mike W. Neate, Nigel C. Shiryaev, Vladimir Churbanov, Mikhail F. Seddon, Angela B. Scanning near-field infrared microscopy (SNIM) potentially enables subdiffraction, broadband mid-infrared (MIR:3–25-μm wavelength range) spectral-mapping of human cells and tissue for real-time molecular sensing, with prospective use in disease diagnosis. SNIM requires an MIR-transmitting tip of small aperture for photon collection. Here, chalcogenide-glass optical fibers are reproducibly tapered at one end to form a MIR transmitting tip for SNIM. A wet-etching method is used to form the tip. The tapering sides of the tip are Al-coated. These Al-coated tapered-tips exhibit near-field power-confinement when acting either as the launch-end or exit-end of the MIR optical fiber. We report first time optimal cleaving of the end of the tapered tip using focused ion beam milling. A flat aperture is produced at the end of the tip, which is orthogonal to the fiber-axis and of controlled diameter. A FIB-cleaved aperture is used to collect MIR spectra of cells mounted on a transflection plate, under illumination of a synchrotron- generated wideband MIR beam. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 2016-02-15 Article PeerReviewed Athanasiou, Giorgos S., Ernst, Johanna, Furniss, David, Benson, Trevor M., Chauhan, Jasbinder, Middleton, John, Parmenter, Christopher D.J., Fay, Mike W., Neate, Nigel C., Shiryaev, Vladimir, Churbanov, Mikhail F. and Seddon, Angela B. (2016) Toward mid-infrared, subdiffraction, spectral-mapping of human cells and tissue: SNIM (scanning near-field infrared microscopy) tip fabrication. Journal of Lightwave Technology, 34 (4). 1212 -1219. ISSN 1558-2213 Chalcogenide Glass Chemical Etching Fiber Processing Mid-Infrared Transflection Spectra http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?arnumber=7317727 doi:10.1109/JLT.2015.2496786 doi:10.1109/JLT.2015.2496786
spellingShingle Chalcogenide Glass
Chemical Etching
Fiber Processing
Mid-Infrared
Transflection Spectra
Athanasiou, Giorgos S.
Ernst, Johanna
Furniss, David
Benson, Trevor M.
Chauhan, Jasbinder
Middleton, John
Parmenter, Christopher D.J.
Fay, Mike W.
Neate, Nigel C.
Shiryaev, Vladimir
Churbanov, Mikhail F.
Seddon, Angela B.
Toward mid-infrared, subdiffraction, spectral-mapping of human cells and tissue: SNIM (scanning near-field infrared microscopy) tip fabrication
title Toward mid-infrared, subdiffraction, spectral-mapping of human cells and tissue: SNIM (scanning near-field infrared microscopy) tip fabrication
title_full Toward mid-infrared, subdiffraction, spectral-mapping of human cells and tissue: SNIM (scanning near-field infrared microscopy) tip fabrication
title_fullStr Toward mid-infrared, subdiffraction, spectral-mapping of human cells and tissue: SNIM (scanning near-field infrared microscopy) tip fabrication
title_full_unstemmed Toward mid-infrared, subdiffraction, spectral-mapping of human cells and tissue: SNIM (scanning near-field infrared microscopy) tip fabrication
title_short Toward mid-infrared, subdiffraction, spectral-mapping of human cells and tissue: SNIM (scanning near-field infrared microscopy) tip fabrication
title_sort toward mid-infrared, subdiffraction, spectral-mapping of human cells and tissue: snim (scanning near-field infrared microscopy) tip fabrication
topic Chalcogenide Glass
Chemical Etching
Fiber Processing
Mid-Infrared
Transflection Spectra
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/31997/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/31997/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/31997/