Multi‐Material Strain Mapping with Scanning Reflectance Anisotropy Microscopy

Abstract Strain‐engineering of materials encompasses significant elastic deformation and leads to breaking of the lattice symmetry and as a consequence to the emergence of optical anisotropy. However, the capability to image and map local strain fields by optical microscopy is currently limited to specific materials. Here, a broadband scanning reflectance anisotropy microscope as a phase‐sensitive multi‐material optical platform for strain mapping is introduced. The microscope produces hyperspectral images with diffraction‐limited sub‐micron resolution of the near‐normal incidence ellipsometric response of the sample, which is related to elastic strain by means of the elasto‐optic effect. Cutting edge strain sensitivity is demonstrated using a variety of materials, such as metasurfaces, semiconductors, and metals. The versatility of the method to study the breaking of the lattice symmetry by simple reflectance measurements opens up the possibility to carry out non‐destructive mechanical characterization of multi‐material components, such as wearable electronics and optical semiconductor devices.