Fault-tolerant and finite-error localization for point emitters within the diffraction limit

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Interferometry
• Image Processing

Background:

• Accurate measurement of source separation is crucial in various scientific fields.
• Existing methods face challenges with overlapping or low-visibility sources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel self-interference technique for determining the separation between two incoherent point sources.
• To demonstrate the method's effectiveness even when sources completely overlap.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a self-interference technique based on image inversion interferometry.
• Application of advanced data analytics for precise separation estimation.
• Experimental validation of the technique's performance.

Main Results:

• Successful estimation of source separation with finite error, including cases of complete source overlap.
• Demonstrated good tolerance to experimental noise and misalignment.
• Validation of the technique's feasibility through experimental results.

Conclusions:

• The developed self-interference technique provides a reliable method for measuring the separation of incoherent point sources.
• The technique's robustness makes it suitable for high-resolution instruments in microscopy and astronomy.
• This method offers a promising advancement for optical metrology and imaging systems.