Single-molecule-resolution ultrafast near-field optical microscopy via plasmon lifetime extension

Metal nanostructures support plasmon oscillations on their surfaces, which normally decay very quickly. Nevertheless, the lifetime of these can be extended near a longer particle, e.g., molecule. We utilize this phenomenon for ultrahigh (single-molecule) resolution ultrafast apertureless (scattering) applications. demonstrate with numerical solutions 3D Maxwell equations. use nm-sized quantum emitter (QE) long particle. place QE at apex metal-coated atomic force microscope tip. illuminate tip femtosecond laser. The near-field metal decays After some time, one receives scattering signal only from vicinity QE. Thus, becomes single-QE size. propose stress-induced defect center in 2D material as indentation material, transferred to tip, originates located right sharpest point is exactly its apex. Our method equally facilitated single-molecule-size chemical manipulation.