Breaking the diffraction resolution limit by stimulated emission: stimulated-emission-depletion fluorescence microscopy
TL;DR: A new type of scanning fluorescence microscope capable of resolving 35 nm in the far field is proposed, overcome the diffraction resolution limit by employing stimulated emission to inhibit the fluorescence process in the outer regions of the excitation point-spread function.
Abstract: We propose a new type of scanning fluorescence microscope capable of resolving 35 nm in the far field. We overcome the diffraction resolution limit by employing stimulated emission to inhibit the fluorescence process in the outer regions of the excitation point-spread function. In contrast to near-field scanning optical microscopy, this method can produce three-dimensional images of translucent specimens.
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TL;DR: Initial applications indicate that emergent far-field optical nanoscopy will have a strong impact in the life sciences and in other areas benefiting from nanoscale visualization.
Abstract: In 1873, Ernst Abbe discovered what was to become a well-known paradigm: the inability of a lens-based optical microscope to discern details that are closer together than half of the wavelength of light. However, for its most popular imaging mode, fluorescence microscopy, the diffraction barrier is crumbling. Here, I discuss the physical concepts that have pushed fluorescence microscopy to the nanoscale, once the prerogative of electron and scanning probe microscopes. Initial applications indicate that emergent far-field optical nanoscopy will have a strong impact in the life sciences and in other areas benefiting from nanoscale visualization.
2,730 citations
Cites background from "Breaking the diffraction resolution..."
...The first viable concept of this kind was Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) microscopy [3] where the diameter of the region (focal spot) in which the molecule can be in the fluorescent state follows d = A /(2nsin a~l+ I / Is )....
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TL;DR: Optical antennas are devices that convert freely propagating optical radiation into localized energy, and vice versa as mentioned in this paper, and hold promise for enhancing the performance and efficiency of photodetection, light emission and sensing.
Abstract: Optical antennas are devices that convert freely propagating optical radiation into localized energy, and vice versa. They enable the control and manipulation of optical fields at the nanometre scale, and hold promise for enhancing the performance and efficiency of photodetection, light emission and sensing. Although many of the properties and parameters of optical antennas are similar to their radiowave and microwave counterparts, they have important differences resulting from their small size and the resonant properties of metal nanostructures. This Review summarizes the physical properties of optical antennas, provides a summary of some of the most important recent developments in the field, discusses the potential applications and identifies the future challenges and opportunities.
2,557 citations
TL;DR: An overview of the recent developments in the field of cylindrical vector beams is provided in this paper, where the authors also discuss the potential of using these beams in other fields.
Abstract: An overview of the recent developments in the field of cylindrical vector beams is
provided. As one class of spatially variant polarization, cylindrical vector beams
are the axially symmetric beam solution to the full vector electromagnetic wave
equation. These beams can be generated via different active and passive methods.
Techniques for manipulating these beams while maintaining the polarization symmetry
have also been developed. Their special polarization symmetry gives rise to unique
high-numerical-aperture focusing properties that find important applications in
nanoscale optical imaging and manipulation. The prospects for cylindrical vector
beams and their applications in other fields are also briefly discussed.
2,361 citations
TL;DR: Experimental results show that a 2D point resolution of <50 nm is possible on sufficiently bright and photostable samples, and a recently proposed method in which the nonlinearity arises from saturation of the excited state is experimentally demonstrated.
Abstract: Contrary to the well known diffraction limit, the fluorescence microscope is in principle capable of unlimited resolution. The necessary elements are spatially structured illumination light and a nonlinear dependence of the fluorescence emission rate on the illumination intensity. As an example of this concept, this article experimentally demonstrates saturated structured-illumination microscopy, a recently proposed method in which the nonlinearity arisesfromsaturationoftheexcitedstate.Thismethodcanbeused in a simple, wide-field (nonscanning) microscope, uses only a single, inexpensive laser, and requires no unusual photophysical properties of the fluorophore. The practical resolving power is determined by the signal-to-noise ratio, which in turn is limited by photobleaching. Experimental results show that a 2D point resolution of <50 nm is possible on sufficiently bright and photostable samples.
2,125 citations
1,692 citations
References
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Book•
01 Jan 1986
TL;DR: Molecular cell biology, Molecular cell biology , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اصاع رسانی, کδاوρزی
Abstract: Molecular cell biology , Molecular cell biology , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی
6,754 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a method for increasing the resolution in far-field fluorescence light microscopy by a factor of 2 was described, where a lateral resolution of 75 nm was achieved with a lens of numerical aperture of 1.4 by a two-photon excitation mode with each photon stemming from displaced focused light beams of λ = 500 nm and overlapping main maxima.
78 citations
64 citations