Scanning tip microwave near-field microscope

Abstract

A near-field microscope which operates in the rf/microwave frequency range is described. In this microscope, a scanning tunneling microscope (STM)-like tip rather than an aperture is used as a point-like evanescent field emitter. A spatial resolution of ∼5 μm (∼λ/100 000) is achieved in the current version. The design of the microscope as well as the principal factors which affect its performance are discussed.