Abstract
We report dielectric microsphere array-based optical super-resolution microscopy. A dielectric microsphere that is placed on a sample is known to generate a virtual image with resolution better than the optical diffraction limit. However, a limitation of such type of super-resolution microscopy is the restricted field-of-view, essentially limited to the central area of the microsphere-generated image. We overcame this limitation by scanning a micro-fabricated array of ordered microspheres over the sample using a customized algorithm that moved step-by-step a motorized stage, meanwhile the microscope-mounted camera was taking pictures at every step. Finally, we stitched together the extracted central parts of the virtual images that showed super-resolution into a mosaic image. We demonstrated 130 nm lateral resolution (~λ/4) and 5 × 105 µm2 scanned surface area using a two by one array of barium titanate glass microspheres in oil-immersion environment. Our findings may serve as a basis for widespread applications of affordable optical super-resolution microscopy.
Highlights
The discovery of the photonic nanojet phenomenon generated by a lens-like dielectric micro-object opened a new chapter in optical microscopy in 20041
It became an accepted statement that the photonic nanojet is a narrow light beam with high optical density emerging over a length ~2λ away from the micro-object that created it with a full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) of ~λ/39
It was demonstrated that the super-resolved area can be extended by various scanning methods[27,28,29,30,31], including the super-resolution imaging ability of dielectric microspheres that were used in an atomic force microscopy (AFM) setup[32,33]
Summary
The discovery of the photonic nanojet phenomenon generated by a lens-like dielectric micro-object opened a new chapter in optical microscopy in 20041. It was demonstrated that the super-resolved area can be extended by various scanning methods[27,28,29,30,31], including the super-resolution imaging ability of dielectric microspheres that were used in an atomic force microscopy (AFM) setup[32,33]. This technique extended the field-of-view of the imaging system, and carried the drawbacks of an AFM system, namely the extreme sensitivity on vibration, requiring a dedicated setup. We have engineered the scanning principle and the super-resolution imaging capability of an array of dielectric microspheres into a robust experimental setup and thereby could upgrade a normal optical microscope to a super-resolution one
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