Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2004. Directed by Andrei G. Federov. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 155-164).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2003. / Advisor: Dr. Michael S. Chapman, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Feb. 24, 2003). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S. in Mechanical Engineering)--Naval Postgraduate School, September 2002. / Thesis advisor(s): Terry R. McNelley. Includes bibliographical references (p. 53-55). Also available online.

Thesis (M.S.)--Worcester Polytechnic Institute. / Keywords: Leuconostoc mesenteroides NIRC1542; Atomic Force Microscope; Pseudomonas putida KT2442; Adhesion. Includes bibliographical references (p. 75-83).

We present a novel concept to design apertureless plasmonic probes for near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) with enhanced optical power throughput and near-field confinement. Specifically, we combine unidirectional surface plasmon polariton (SPP) generation along the tip lateral walls with nanofocusing of SPPs through adiabatic propagation towards an apertureless tip. Three probe designs are introduced with different light coupling mechanisms. Optimal design parameters are obtained with 2D analysis and realistic probe geometries with patterned plasmonic surfaces are proposed using the optimized designs. The electromagnetic properties of the designed probes are characterized in the near-field and compared to those of a conventional single-aperture probe with same pyramidal shape. The optimized probes feature enhanced light localization in near-field of tip apex and improved optical throughput. Our ideas effectively combine the resolution of apertureless probes with throughput levels much larger than those available even in aperture-based devices. / text

Section to section alignment is a preliminary step to the creation of three dimensional reconstructions from serial section electron micrographs. Typically, the micrograph of one section is aligned to its neighbors by analyzing a set of fiducial points to calculate an appropriate polynomial transform. This transform is then used to map all of the pixels of the micrograph into alignment. Such transforms are usually linear or piecewise linear in order to limit the accumulation of small errors, which may occur with the use of higher–order approximations. Linear alignment is unable to correct common higher order geometric distortions, such as lens distortion in the case of TEM, and scan distortion in the case of transmission-mode SEM. Here, we attempt to show that standard calibration replicas may be used to calculate a high order distortion model despite the irregularities that are often present in them. We show that SEM scan distortion has much less of an effect than TEM lens distortion; however, the effect of TEM distortion on prior geometric measurements made over three-dimensional reconstructions of dendrites, axons, and synapses and their subcellular compartments is negligible. / text

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