Solid immersion lens microscope for spectroscopy of nanostructure materials

Abstract

We demonstrate a high-spatial-resolution imaging and spectroscopy tool using a solid immersion lens (SIL), a hemispherical lens made of high refractive index glass (n ~2). Photoluminescence (PL) images of single CdSe nanocrystals confirm a numerical aperture enhancement factor of ~2, close to the refractive index of the SIL. In particular, a bare-eye observation of PL signals emitted by single nanocrystals with ~10 μm-2 densities was possible over an ~30 μm diameter region. In addition, the PL spectra of single CdSe nanocrystals were successfully measured at room temperature. Thus, this SIL microscope ensures a simple but powerful method for nanostructure spectroscopy.