Near-field optical probes provide subdiffraction-limited excitation areas for fluorescence correlation spectroscopy on membranes

Abstract Near-field optical probes have been used to produce a subdiffraction-limited observation area for fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) experiments on supported membranes. The design of a bent, etched fiber probe that is compatible with biological imaging in an aqueous environment is described. This probe design is used for proof of principle experiments to measure lipid diffusion in a fluid-supported bilayer. A …