LIGHT-INDUCED EXPANSION OF FIBER TIPS IN NEAR-FIELD SCANNING OPTICAL MICROSCOPY

The emission profiles of laser diodes working at 780 nm and 1300 nm ar e studied by near-held scanning optical microscopy. As the near-field probe is scanned across the laser mirror facet, the laser emission ind uces a transient expansion of the probe tip which is monitored using s hear force microscopy. The thermal expansion of the tips reaches absol ute values of up to 100 nm per mW of emitted laser power. A fully meta llized near-field probe tip is shown to serve as a local bolometer wit h a spatial resolution of better than 1 mu m. (C) 1996 American Instit ute of Physics.