title: Experimental realization of optical eigenmode super-resolution.
abstract: We experimentally demonstrate the feasibility of a super-resolution technique based on eigenmode decomposition. This technique has been proposed theoretically but, to the best of our knowledge, has not previously been realized experimentally for optical imaging systems with circular apertures. We use a standard diffraction-limited 4f imaging system with circular apertures for which the radial eigenmodes are the circular prolate spheroidal functions. For three original objects with different content of angular information we achieve 45%, 49%, and 89% improvement of resolution over the Rayleigh limit. The work presented can be considered as progress towards the goal of reaching the quantum limits of super-resolution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. kpich049@uottawa.ca
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Piché
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leach
authors.forename: Allan S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Jeff Z
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Salvail
authors.forename: Mikhail I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Kolobov
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Boyd
mesh_terms: D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D055095:Optics and Photonics