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Updated: Sep 29, 2025
High-Throughput Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence and Direct Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy Using a Photonic Chip
Published on: November 16, 2019
High-Refractive-Index Chip with Periodically Fine-Tuning Gratings for Tunable Virtual-Wavevector Spatial Frequency
Mingwei Tang1, Yubing Han1, Dehao Ye1
1State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, International Research Center for Advanced Photonics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.
Researchers developed a universal super-resolution imaging technique for both fluorescent and nonfluorescent samples. This tunable virtual-wavevector spatial frequency shift (TVSFS) method achieves deep subwavelength resolution on a single photonic chip.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Materials Science
- Biomedical Imaging
Background:
- Super-resolution imaging is crucial for materials science and biomedicine, but current methods lack a large field of view (FOV) and dual-mode (fluorescent/nonfluorescent) compatibility.
- Existing on-chip super-resolution techniques are specialized for either fluorescent or nonfluorescent imaging, necessitating a versatile alternative.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a universal super-resolution imaging method capable of both labeled and label-free imaging on a single scalable photonic chip.
- To achieve deep subwavelength resolution and a large FOV for advanced scientific and industrial applications.
Main Methods:
- Development of a tunable virtual-wavevector spatial frequency shift (TVSFS) principle for super-resolution imaging.
- Fabrication of diffractive units on a chip surface to generate wavevector-variable evanescent wave illumination.
- Implementation of tunable spatial frequency shifts in Fourier space.
Main Results:
- Achieved imaging resolution over threefold improvement beyond the diffraction limit.
- Demonstrated resolutions of λ/4.7 for label-free and λ/7.1 for fluorescent samples.
- Utilized a gallium phosphide (GaP) chip, showcasing a large FOV and monolithic integration.
Conclusions:
- The proposed TVSFS chip offers a universal solution for super-resolution imaging, compatible with both fluorescent and nonfluorescent samples.
- Its large FOV, dual-mode capability, and scalability position it to advance cell engineering, industrial inspection, and chemical research.
