Time-resolved scanning Kerr microscopy (TRSKM) is a powerful technique for the investigation of picosecond magnetization dynamics at sub-micron length scales by means of the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE). The spatial resolution of conventional (focused) Kerr microscopy using a microscope objective lens is determined by the optical diffraction limit so that the nanoscale character of the magnetization dynamics is lost. Here we present a platform to overcome this limitation by means of a near-field TRSKM that incorporates an atomic force microscope (AFM) with optical access to a metallic AFM probe with a nanoscale aperture at its tip. We demonstrate the near-field capability of the instrument through the comparison of time-resolved polar Kerr images of magnetization dynamics within a microscale NiFe rectangle acquired using both near-field and focused TRSKM techniques at a wavelength of 800 nm. The flux-closure domain state of the in-plane equilibrium magnetization provided the maximum possible dynamic polar Kerr contrast across the central domain wall, and enabled an assessment of the magneto-optical spatial resolution of each technique. Line profiles extracted from the Kerr images demonstrate that the near-field spatial resolution was enhanced with respect to that of the focused Kerr images. Furthermore, the near-field polar Kerr signal (~1 mdeg) was more than half that of the focused Kerr signal, despite the potential loss of probe light due to internal reflections within the AFM tip. We have confirmed the near-field operation by exploring the influence of the tip-sample separation, and have determined the spatial resolution to be ~550 nm for an aperture with a sub-wavelength diameter of 400 nm. The spatial resolution of the near-field TRSKM was in good agreement with finite element modelling of the aperture...
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