Stephen Quake

Publication Details

• Tip-enhanced fluorescence microscopy at 10 nanometer resolution.

  Gerton JM, Wade LA, Lessard GA, Ma Z, Quake SR. Phys Rev Lett. 2004; 93 (18): 180801

  We demonstrate unambiguously that the field enhancement near the apex of a laser-illuminated silicon tip decays according to a power law that is moderated by a single parameter characterizing the tip sharpness. Oscillating the probe in intermittent contact with a semiconductor nanocrystal strongly modulates the fluorescence excitation rate, providing robust optical contrast and enabling excellent background rejection. Laterally encoded demodulation yields images with <10 nm spatial resolution, consistent with independent measurements of tip sharpness.

  PubMedID: 15525147