Surface inspection by monitoring spectral shifts of localized plasmon resonances

We present a numerical study of the spectral variations of localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) in a 3D-probe metallic nanoparticle scanned over an inhomoegeneous dielectric surface. The possibilities for both, index monitoring and lateral resolution at nanoscale level are explored, with special attention paid to the shape of the probe and the profile of the near field underneath. (C) 2008 Optical Society of America.