Polarization and spectroscopy analysis of the scattering by nanoscopic objects in the near-field optics

We show, in this article, the polarization effects around nanoscopic objects in the near-field optics. This analysis accounts of the variation of the total electric field intensity scattered by the objects with the incident wavelength. These are illuminated through a transparent glass substrate under the condition of total internal reflection. The use of different materials is discussed in the optical images according to the incident wavelength at constant height. Using numerical simulations based on the Green's dyadic technique, we compute the total transmitted intensity of the scattered light in the attenuated total reflection configuration at constant height by varying the incident wavelength. The role of localized plasmon resonance is brought to the fore in the optical images for nanoscopic and metallic objects. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)06617-2].