title: Nanoparticle-assisted stimulated-emission-depletion nanoscopy.
abstract: We show that metal nanoparticles can be used to improve the performance of super-resolution fluorescence nanoscopes based on stimulated-emission-depletion (STED). Compared with a standard STED nanoscope, we show theoretically a resolution improvement by more than an order of magnitude, or equivalently, depletion intensity reductions by more than 2 orders of magnitude and an even stronger photostabilization. Our scheme may allow improvement of existing STED nanoscopes and assist in the development of low-power, low-cost nanoscopes. This has the potential to increase the availability of STED nanoscopes and lead to a significant expansion of our understanding of biological and biochemical phenomena occurring on the nanoscale.
authors.affiliation: The Blackett Laboratory, Department of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW72AZ. ysivan@imperial.ac.uk
authors.forename: Yonatan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sivan
authors.forename: Yannick
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sonnefraud
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kéna-Cohen
authors.forename: John B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Pendry
authors.forename: Stefan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Maier
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D003287:Contrast Media; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media