We present a study on thermal-expansion effects induced by laser light coup
ling into metal-coated probes for near-field scanning optical microscopy. A
n expansion of the probe edge of 170 nm per mW of coupled power has been ob
served as an effect of the temperature raise due to light absorption in the
metal coating. The phenomenon has been studied in both time and frequency
domains by modulating the coupled laser power, in order to measure the typi
cal time constants related to heat exchange processes, that turned out to b
e of the order of a few milliseconds. An analytical model, taking into acco
unt both the heat conduction through the coating and the convection losses,
provides scales for the system parameters and fits the experimental data r
emarkably well. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)0444
7-2].