near-field scanning optical microscope

near-field scanning optical microscope

[′nir ¦fēld ′skan·iŋ ′äp·tə·kəl ′mī·krə‚skōp]

(optics)

An optical microscope in which the intensity of light focused through a pipette with an aperture at its tip is recorded as the tip is moved across the specimen in a raster pattern at a distance of much less than a wavelength.

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.