Optical resolution below lambda/4 using synthetic aperture microscopy and evanescent-wave illumination.
Evanescent-wave illumination is applied to synthetic-aperture microscopy on a transparent solid substrate to extend the resolution limit to lambda/2(n+1) (where n is the substrate refractive index) independent of the lens NA. Using a 633 nm source and a 0.4 NA lens, a resolution to 150 nm (lambda/4.2) is demonstrated on a glass (n = 1.5) substrate. Further extension to approximately 74-nm resolution (lambda/8.6) is projected with a higher index substrate (n = 3.3).
Neumann
Alexander
A
Center for High Technology Materials and Department of Physics, University of New Mexico, 1313 Goddard SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. aneumann@chtm.unm.edu
Kuznetsova
Yuliya
Y
Brueck
S R J
SR
D003198:Computer Simulation; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007909:Lenses; D008027:Light; D008029:Lighting / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008853:Microscopy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012542:Scattering, Radiation