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Updated: May 18, 2026
08:32
Conducting Multiple Imaging Modes with One Fluorescence Microscope
Published on: October 28, 2018
Solid immersion facilitates fluorescence microscopy with nanometer resolution and sub-ångström emitter localization
Dominik Wildanger1, Brian R Patton, Heiko Schill
1Department of NanoBiophotonics, Max Planck Institut for Biophysical Chemistry, Am Fassberg 11, 37077 Göttingen, Germany. dominik@wildanger.net.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|September 13, 2012
Summary
Researchers achieved 2.4 nm resolution in optical imaging using solid immersion lenses (SIL) with stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy. This technique precisely locates single spins, advancing nanoscale imaging capabilities.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Nanotechnology
- Quantum Sensing
Background:
- Far-field optical imaging traditionally faces diffraction limits, restricting spatial resolution.
- Stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy enhances resolution but requires further improvement for nanoscale applications.
- Precise localization of nanoscale objects is crucial for fields like quantum information science.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the maximum spatial resolution achievable in far-field optical imaging.
- To explore the application of solid immersion lenses (SIL) in STED microscopy.
- To demonstrate high-resolution imaging and localization of single spins.
Main Methods:
- Utilized stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy.
- Integrated solid immersion lenses (SIL) to overcome diffraction limitations.
- Applied the technique to image and localize single spin defects.
Main Results:
- Achieved a spatial resolution down to 2.4 ± 0.3 nm.
- Demonstrated a localization precision of 0.09 nm for single spins.
- Successfully imaged nanoscale structures with unprecedented detail.
Conclusions:
- Solid immersion lenses significantly enhance the spatial resolution of STED microscopy.
- The combined SIL-STED approach enables nanoscale imaging and precise localization of single spins.
- This advancement holds potential for high-resolution imaging in various scientific disciplines.
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