Analysis of Near-Field Diffraction Pattern of a Metallic Probe Tip with the Boundary Diffraction Wave Method

The boundary diffraction wave theory is introduced to analyse a near-field diffraction (NFD) pattern of a metallic probe tip of apertureless scanning near-field microscopy. This method is simple and can give a clear physical picture. The polarization effect of the incident light and the different shapes of the metallic probe tip are simulated. The results show that the NFD pattern of the metallic probe tip is directly related to those factors.