Optics at the nanometre scale

The development of nano-optics is reviewed, with emphasis on its historical roots and up to the time when it became an established branch of nanometre science and technology. It concentrates on the decade 1984-1994, and in particular on the principally new ideas that came up during that period. A special focus is scanning near-field optical microscopy, which still is the most active part of nano-optics research (aside from being the author's field of specialization). No attempt is made to review scientific development after 1994 in a systematic way, since it is well represented by the other articles presented in this Theme issue.