Super-Resolution Imaging with Patchy Microspheres

The diffraction limit is a fundamental barrier in optical microscopy, which restricts the smallest resolvable feature size of a microscopic system. Microsphere-based microscopy has proven to be a promising tool for challenging the diffraction limit. Nevertheless, the microspheres have a low imaging contrast in air, which hinders the application of this technique. In this work, we demonstrate that this challenge can be effectively overcome by using partially Ag-plated microspheres. The deposited Ag film acts as an aperture stop that blocks a portion of the incident beam, forming a photonic hook and an oblique near-field illumination. Such a photonic hook significantly enhanced the imaging contrast of the system, as experimentally verified by imaging the Blu-ray disc surface and colloidal particle arrays.

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Optical Trapping, Sensing, and Imaging by Photonic Nanojets

Photonics ◽

10.3390/photonics8100434 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (10) ◽

pp. 434

Author(s):

Heng Li ◽

Wanying Song ◽

Yanan Zhao ◽

Qin Cao ◽

Ahao Wen

Keyword(s):

Optical Tweezers ◽

Optical Trapping ◽

Near Field ◽

Super Resolution ◽

Diffraction Limit ◽

Research Progress ◽

Optical Forces ◽

Resolution Imaging ◽

Photonic Nanojets ◽

Near Field Scanning

The optical trapping, sensing, and imaging of nanostructures and biological samples are research hotspots in the fields of biomedicine and nanophotonics. However, because of the diffraction limit of light, traditional optical tweezers and microscopy are difficult to use to trap and observe objects smaller than 200 nm. Near-field scanning probes, metamaterial superlenses, and photonic crystals have been designed to overcome the diffraction limit, and thus are used for nanoscale optical trapping, sensing, and imaging. Additionally, photonic nanojets that are simply generated by dielectric microspheres can break the diffraction limit and enhance optical forces, detection signals, and imaging resolution. In this review, we summarize the current types of microsphere lenses, as well as their principles and applications in nano-optical trapping, signal enhancement, and super-resolution imaging, with particular attention paid to research progress in photonic nanojets for the trapping, sensing, and imaging of biological cells and tissues.

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Super-resolution imaging of SERS hot spots

Chemical Society Reviews ◽

10.1039/c3cs60334b ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 43 (11) ◽

pp. 3854-3864 ◽

Cited By ~ 91

Author(s):

Katherine A. Willets

Keyword(s):

Hot Spots ◽

Super Resolution ◽

Diffraction Limit ◽

Resolution Imaging

Super-resolution imaging defeats the diffraction-limit of light, allowing the spatial origin and intensity of SERS signals to be determined with <5 nm resolution.

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Optical Tracking Microscopy and Super-Resolution Imaging of Living Cells Beyond the Diffraction Limit

Optics in the Life Sciences ◽

10.1364/ntm.2011.nmb1 ◽

2011 ◽

Author(s):

W. E. Moerner

Keyword(s):

Super Resolution ◽

Living Cells ◽

Diffraction Limit ◽

Optical Tracking ◽

Resolution Imaging

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Focus on Super-Resolution Imaging with Direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (dSTORM)

Australian Journal of Chemistry ◽

10.1071/ch13499 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 67 (2) ◽

pp. 179 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Donna R. Whelan ◽

Thorge Holm ◽

Markus Sauer ◽

Toby D. M. Bell

Keyword(s):

Cell Biology ◽

Super Resolution ◽

Diffraction Limit ◽

Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy ◽

Resolution Imaging ◽

Optical Reconstruction ◽

Set Up ◽

Microscopy Techniques ◽

Super Resolution Microscopy ◽

Microscopic Techniques

The last decade has seen the development of several microscopic techniques capable of achieving spatial resolutions that are well below the diffraction limit of light. These techniques, collectively referred to as ‘super-resolution’ microscopy, are now finding wide use, particularly in cell biology, routinely generating fluorescence images with resolutions in the order of tens of nanometres. In this highlight, we focus on direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy or dSTORM, one of the localisation super-resolution fluorescence microscopy techniques that are founded on the detection of fluorescence emissions from single molecules. We detail how, with minimal assemblage, a highly functional and versatile dSTORM set-up can be built from ‘off-the-shelf’ components at quite a modest budget, especially when compared with the current cost of commercial systems. We also present some typical super-resolution images of microtubules and actin filaments within cells and discuss sample preparation and labelling methods.

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Far-field super-resolution imaging using near-field illumination by micro-fiber

Applied Physics Letters ◽

10.1063/1.4773572 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 102 (1) ◽

pp. 013104 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Xiang Hao ◽

Xu Liu ◽

Cuifang Kuang ◽

Yanghui Li ◽

Yulong Ku ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Near Field ◽

Super Resolution ◽

Far Field ◽

Resolution Imaging

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Terahertz Microscopy with Oblique Subwavelength Illumination in near Field

10.20944/preprints202109.0024.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Igor V. Minin ◽

Oleg V. Minin

Keyword(s):

Oblique Incidence ◽

Near Field ◽

Diffraction Limit ◽

Terahertz Range ◽

Promising Tool ◽

Photonic Jet

Microscopes based on dielectric mesoscale particles, using the effect of a photonic jet or terajet in the terahertz range, are a promising tool for overcoming the diffraction limit. However, the image they generate has limited contrast, which limits the application of this method. In this letter, we demonstrate that it is possible to increase the contrast of an image based on dielectric mesoscale particles that provide the formation of photonic hooks. In this case, the illumination of the object is carried out by an oblique incidence of subwavelength terajet, which significantly (more than 2 times) increases the contrast of the image.

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Super-Resolution Imaging with Graphene

Biosensors ◽

10.3390/bios11090307 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 307

Author(s):

Xiaoxiao Jiang ◽

Lu Kong ◽

Yu Ying ◽

Qiongchan Gu ◽

Jiangtao Lv ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Optical Imaging ◽

Near Field ◽

Super Resolution ◽

High Resolution Imaging ◽

The Past ◽

Working Principle ◽

Resolution Imaging ◽

Conventional Microscopy ◽

Microscopy Techniques ◽

Research Domain

Super-resolution optical imaging is a consistent research hotspot for promoting studies in nanotechnology and biotechnology due to its capability of overcoming the diffraction limit, which is an intrinsic obstacle in pursuing higher resolution for conventional microscopy techniques. In the past few decades, a great number of techniques in this research domain have been theoretically proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Graphene, a special two-dimensional material, has become the most meritorious candidate and attracted incredible attention in high-resolution imaging domain due to its distinctive properties. In this article, the working principle of graphene-assisted imaging devices is summarized, and recent advances of super-resolution optical imaging based on graphene are reviewed for both near-field and far-field applications.

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From 2D to 3D super-resolution imaging through glass microspheres -INVITED

EPJ Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/epjconf/202023806002 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 238 ◽

pp. 06002

Author(s):

Stephane Perrin ◽

Sylvain Lecler ◽

Paul Montgomery

Keyword(s):

3D Reconstruction ◽

Imaging Technique ◽

Super Resolution ◽

Diffraction Limit ◽

Label Free ◽

Magnification Factor ◽

Glass Microspheres ◽

Full Field ◽

Resolution Imaging ◽

2D To 3D

Microsphere-assisted microscopy is a new imaging technique which allows the diffraction limit to be overcome using transparent microspheres. It makes it possible to reach a resolution of up to 100 nm in air while being label-free and full-field. An overview of the imaging technique is presented showing the influence of the photonic jet on the image nature and the unconventional behaviour of the magnification factor. Moreover, interferometry through microspheres is demonstrated for the 3D reconstruction of nanoelements.

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