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A new technique of laser direct writing of nanoscale structures is proposed. The technique is based on a local intensity enhancement of optical radiation near a tip of a scanning tunneling microscope and allows to overcome the fundamental spot limitation (about a half of the wavelength λ) of the conventional lens-focused beams. In the first experimental results unconventional tips of silver are used in order to increase the effect. By using a laser with λ = 800 nm features of 10 to 40 nm in diameter are reversibly written on the surface of gold films. Theoretical possibilities and mechanisms of the near-field enhancement of optical radiation by very small conductive objects are briefly summarized.
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Gorbunov et al. (1994) studied this question.
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