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Nanoscale Resolution in the Focal Plane of an Optical Microscope

Nanoscale Resolution in the Focal Plane of an Optical Microscope Utilizing single fluorescent molecules as probes, we prove the ability of a far-field microscope to attain spatial resolution down to 16 nm in the focal plane, corresponding to about 1 / 50 of the employed wavelength. The optical bandwidth expansion by nearly an order of magnitude is realized by a saturated depletion through stimulated emission of the molecular fluorescent state. We demonstrate that en route to the molecular scale, the resolving power increases with the square root of the saturation level, which constitutes a new law regarding the resolution of an emerging class of far-field light microscopes that are not limited by diffraction. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Physical Review Letters American Physical Society (APS)

Nanoscale Resolution in the Focal Plane of an Optical Microscope

Westphal, Volker; Hell, Stefan W
Physical Review Letters , Volume 94 (14) – Apr 15, 2005
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Publisher
American Physical Society (APS)
Copyright
Copyright © 2005 The American Physical Society
ISSN
1079-7114
DOI
10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.143903
pmid
15904066
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Utilizing single fluorescent molecules as probes, we prove the ability of a far-field microscope to attain spatial resolution down to 16 nm in the focal plane, corresponding to about 1 / 50 of the employed wavelength. The optical bandwidth expansion by nearly an order of magnitude is realized by a saturated depletion through stimulated emission of the molecular fluorescent state. We demonstrate that en route to the molecular scale, the resolving power increases with the square root of the saturation level, which constitutes a new law regarding the resolution of an emerging class of far-field light microscopes that are not limited by diffraction.

Journal

Physical Review Letters – American Physical Society (APS)

Published: Apr 15, 2005

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