Superhigh resolution microscopy using microlenses

ORAL

Abstract

We report a new super-resolution microscope for optical imaging which attains an upmost resolution \textless 100nm with a broad-band white light source. The noninvasive microscope uses liquid plano-convex microlens (ML) to collect diffractive light from specimen. The deliquescent salt added in the liquid maintains the atomic smooth surface and the high refractive index of microlens. The microlens works in the near proximate to the objects and picks up both propagation and evanescent light diffracted from the objects. The produced super-resolution and enlarged images are then magnified by the conventional microscope. We also demonstrate that the microscope provides superior for fluorescence imaging where a resolution of $\sim$ 90 nm and $\sim$ 4 enhanced emission intensity was obtained. This microlens based microscope is easy to fabricate and use, inexpensive and no special requirement to illumination. It has potential applications in diverse fields of life-, bio-, and nano- sciences.

–

Authors

  • Chuanhong Zhou

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, Youngstown State University

  • Zachary Richards

    Washington State University, Department of Physics, Bowling Green State University, 104 Overman Hall, OH 43403, USA, Nuclear Radiation Center, PO Box 641300, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-1300, USA, Institute of Nuclear and Physical Engineering, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Ilkovi\v{c}ova 3, 812 19 Bratislava, Slovak Republic, Air Force Institute of Technology, Oak Ridge Institute of Science and Education, Bowling Green State University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University, Purdue University, University of Toledo