Near-field optical imaging of nanoscale optical fields and plasmon waves

Near-field optical microscopy enables spectroscopic and imaging measurements with a spatial resolution far beyond the diffraction limit of light. We show in this review that spatial structures of plasmonic wavefunctions and those of enhanced optical fields are visualized by near-field spectroscopic imaging for gold nanoparticles and their assemblies. A simple formulation for the optical observation of wavefunctions of oscillating polarization modes in nanomaterials is given. We will introduce experimental methods for near-field linear transmission and nonlinear two-photon excitation measurements. We will demonstrate that the wavefunctions of surface plasmons resonant with the incident wavelength are visualized by the near-field methods for gold nanorods. In addition, we will also show for aggregated gold nanospheres that an enhanced optical field is localized in the interstitial gaps between the particles by near-field two-photon excitation measurements.