Single Molecule Emission Characteristics in Near-Field Microscopy

In near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM), the measured fluorescence lifetime of a single dye molecule can be shortened or lengthened, sensitively dependent on the relative position between the molecule and aluminum coated fiber tip. The modified lifetimes and other emission characteristics are simulated by solving Maxwell equations with the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The 2D computation reveals insight into the lifetime behaviors and provides guidance for nonperturbative spectroscopic measurements with NSOM. This new methodology is capable of predicting molecular emission properties in front of a metal/dielectric interface of arbitrary geometry.