Energy transfer in near-field optics

When the probe tip of a near-field optical microscope illuminates nanoparticles with marked absorption bands, a large number of photons are absorbed before reaching the detector. These energy losses enhance the dark contrast usually observed in the vicinity of metallic nanoparticles. We demonstrate theoretically that this phenomenon can be exploited to image, in the optical frequency range, dissipative domains with a nanometer scale resolution. Simulations performed with noble-metal particles indicate that the detected signal significantly drops down when the excitation frequency is approaching the plasmon resonance of the particles.