High-efficiency scattering probe design for s-polarized near-field microscopy

In a conventional scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy setup, the atomic force microscope probe is unable to effectively couple with s-polarized light, resulting in low signal and limited in-plane sensitivity. This study aims to investigate a high-resolution probe with enhanced responsivity to both s- and p-polarized light. Full-wave electromagnetic method of moments simulations are utilized. Simulated near-field spectra on prototypical materials (SiO₂, Si, SrTiO₃), as well as simulated raster scans of a gap nanoantenna, indicate a two order of magnitude increase of the scattering signal for s-polarized incident and detection scheme compared to the conventional probe.