Dresden 2026 – scientific programme
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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik
O 85: Vacuum Science & Technology: Theory and Applications II
O 85.7: Talk
Thursday, March 12, 2026, 16:45–17:00, HSZ/0401
Image Stacking: A Simple Method to Enhance SNOM Measurements — •Florian Mangold1, Farid Aghashirinov1, Enrico Baù2, Julian Schwab1, Bettina Frank1, Andreas Tittl2, and Harald Giessen1 — 14th Physics Institute, Research Center SCoPE, and Integrated Quantum Science and Technology Center, University of Stuttgart, Germany — 2Nano-Institute Munich, Department of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians Universität München, Germany
Scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) enables optical characterization with spatial resolution far beyond the diffraction limit, making it a powerful tool for studying nanoscale optical and material properties. However, achieving a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in SNOM can be challenging and, depending on the experimental conditions, sometimes not feasible. We present a simple and equipment-free method to enhance SNOM performance by aligning and stacking multiple sequential measurements. This procedure effectively increases the SNR while avoiding drift-induced errors and system alterations. In addition, the stacking process suppresses outliers and isolated noise contributions, further improving data quality. We demonstrate that stacked SNOM measurements can surpass the quality of single measurements under comparable conditions. This straightforward method can be broadly applied to strengthen existing SNOM experiments and opens possibilities for measurements in challenging regimes, including low-signal materials, extended wavelength ranges, and higher-order demodulation schemes where conventional single-shot SNR would be insufficient.
Keywords: Scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM); Image Stacking; Surface plasmon polariton (SPP); Surface phonon polariton (SPhP)