%A P. James Schuck,Wei Bao,Nicholas J. Borys %T A polarizing situation: Taking an in-plane perspective for next-generation near-field studies %0 Journal Article %D 2016 %J Front. Phys. %J Frontiers of Physics %@ 2095-0462 %R 10.1007/s11467-015-0526-5 %P 117804-${article.jieShuYe} %V 11 %N 2 %U {https://journal.hep.com.cn/fop/EN/10.1007/s11467-015-0526-5 %8 2016-04-29 %X

By enabling the probing of light–matter interactions at the functionally relevant length scales of most materials, near-field optical imaging and spectroscopy accesses information that is unobtainable with other methods. The advent of apertureless techniques, which exploit the ultralocalized and enhanced near-fields created by sharp metallic tips or plasmonic nanoparticles, has resulted in rapid adoption of near-field approaches for studying novel materials and phenomena, with spatial resolution approaching sub-molecular levels. However, these approaches are generally limited by the dominant out-of-plane polarization response of apertureless tips, restricting the exploration and discovery of many material properties. This has led to recent design and fabrication breakthroughs in near-field tips engineered specifically for enhancing in-plane interactions with near-field light components. This mini-review provides a perspective on recent progress and emerging directions aimed at utilizing and controlling in-plane optical polarization, highlighting key application spaces where in-plane near-field tip responses have enabled recent advancements in the understanding and development of new nanostructured materials and devices.