Multi‐Functional Probe Recording: Field‐Induced Recording and Near‐Field Optical Readout

We demonstrate a high‐speed recording based on field‐induced manipulation in combination with an optical reading of recorded bits on Au cluster films using the atomic force microscope (AFM) and the near‐field scanning optical microscope (NSOM). We reproduced 50 nm‐sized mounds by applying short electrical pulses to conducting tips in a non‐contact mode as a writing process. The recorded marks were then optically read using bent fiber probes in a transmission mode. A strong enhancement of light transmission is attributed to the local surface plasmon excitation on the protruded dots.