title: Enhanced resolution of microscopic objects by image inversion interferometry.
abstract: We demonstrate in experiment that the resolution of a conventional light microscope can be enhanced by 26% with the help of an image inverting interferometer. In order to prove this statement, we measured the point spread function of the system as well as the resolution of two-point objects. Additionally, the contrast transmission function of the interferometric setup was measured and compared to the results gained with a conventional wide-field microscope. Using the interferometric system, the spatial frequencies near the cutoff-frequency were far better transmitted than by the conventional microscope. Finally, we demonstrate the improved resolution with the help of images of two-dimensional structures.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Optics, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena, Germany. Daniel.Weigel@uni-jena.de
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Weigel
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Foerster
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Babovsky
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kiessling
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kowarschik
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D007368:Interferometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008853:Microscopy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity