Near-field characterization of ultra-thin metal films

Abstract

Ultra-thin metal films will form the basis of next-generation optoelectronics. However, characterization of their performance requires consideration of nanocrystalline structure and analysis of local optical and electrical properties. In present study, we use scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) for nanoscale probing of optical conductivity of ultrathin metal films. We obtained surface maps of scattered near-field signal for gold films grown on monolayer graphene and MoS2 films as well as on a pure Si/SiO2 substrate. These results clearly demonstrate the difference in generated optical responses and can be used in the development of various devices utilizing ultrathin metal films.