Profiling the evanescent field of nanofiber waveguides using self-assembled polymer coatings.

Here we demonstrate a facile method of quantifying the decaying optical field surrounding free-standing tin dioxide (SnO(2)) nanofiber waveguides. Through the use of thin self-assembled polyelectrolyte coatings and fluorescent optical transmitters we map out the optical intensity as a function of distance with nanometer resolution.