Anomalous tip-sample distance behavior on the tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of graphene in ambient conditions

Applied Physics Letters 2026 Open access

Read full text
Authors: Andre G Pereira, Raúl Correa, Bianca Carneiro, Cassiano Rabelo, Thiago L. Vasconcelos, Vitor Monken, Luiz Gustavo Cançado, A. Jorio
DOI: 10.1063/5.0317020
Cited by: 2
References: 25

Abstract

Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) combines Raman spectroscopy with scanning probe microscopy to overcome the spatial resolution limitation imposed by light diffraction, offering a primary optical technique for the comprehensive study of two-dimensional (2D) materials. In this work, we investigate an anomalous decay profile of the TERS intensity of the graphene 2D band as the tip-sample separation changes, observations enabled by high TERS efficiency and accuracy in tip-approach and tip-retract procedures. The anomalous results can be properly described by the addition of an ad hoc deformation to the effective tip-sample distance, rationalized here as due to the presence of a liquid meniscus formed via capillary forces.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Near-Field Optical Microscopy Quantum optics and atomic interactions Gold and Silver Nanoparticles Synthesis and Applications

Publication details

Journal / source
Applied Physics Letters
Publisher
AIP Publishing
Volume
128
Issue
11
Publication date
16 March 2026
Language
EN