Advantages of microsphere-assisted super-resolution imaging technique over solid immersion lens and confocal microscopies
Abstract
We demonstrate a series of advantages of microsphere-assisted imaging over confocal and solid immersion lens microscopies including intrinsic flexibility, better resolution, higher magnification, and longer working distances. We discerned minimal feature sizes of ∼50-60 nm in nanoplasmonic arrays at the illumination wavelength λ = 405 nm. It is demonstrated that liquid-immersed, high-index (n ∼ 1.9-2.1) spheres provide a superior image quality compared to that obtained by spheres with the same index contrast in an air environment. We estimate that using transparent microspheres at deep UV wavelengths of ∼200 nm might make possible imaging of various nanostructures with extraordinary high ∼30 nm resolution.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Feb 10, 2014
- Source ID
- 10.1063/1.4864760
Entities
People
- Arash Darafsheh
- Dennis E. Walker Jr.
- John S. Derov
- Nicholaos I. Limberopoulos
- Vasily N. Astratov
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory
- Army Research Office
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte