Structured illumination applied to imaging interferometric microscopy (IIM) allows extension of the resolution limit of low numerical aperture objective lenses to ultimate linear systems limits (≲λ/4 in air) without requiring a reference beam around the objective lens. Instead, the reference beam is provided by an illumination beam just at the edge of the optical system numerical aperture resulting in a shift of the recorded spatial frequencies (equivalent to an intermediate frequency). The restoration procedure is discussed. This technique is adaptable readily to existing microscopes, since extensive access to the imaging system pupil plane is not required.

© 2008 Optical Society of America

1. E. Abbe, Arch. Mikrosk. Anat. Entwicklungsmech. 9, 413 - 420 (1873). [CrossRef]
2. M. G. L. Gustafsson, "Surpassing the lateral resolution limit by a factor of two using structured illumination microscopy," J. Microsc. 198, 82-87 (2000). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. M. G. L. Gustafsson, "Nonlinear structured-illumination microscopy: Wide-field fluorescence imaging with theoretically unlimited resolution," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 102, 13081-13086, (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
4. G. Donnert, J. Keller, R. Medda, M. A. Andrei, S. O. Rizzoli, R. Lührmann, R. Jahn, C. Eggeling, AND S. W. Hell, "Macromolecular-scale resolution in biological fluorescence microscopy," Proc. Natl. Acad. Soc. USA 103, 11440-11445 (2006). [CrossRef]
5. V. Westphal and S. W. Hell, "Nanoscale resolution in the focal plane of an optical microscope," Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 143903 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
6. W. Lukosz and M. Marchant, "Optischen Abbildung Unter Ueberschreitung der Beugungsbedingten Aufloesungsgrenze," Opt. Acta 10, 241-255 (1963). [CrossRef]
7. W. Lucosz, "Optical Systems with Resolving Powers Exceeding the Classical Limit," J. Opt. Soc. Am. 57, 932-941 (1967). [CrossRef]
8. C. J. Schwarz, Y. Kuznetsova, and S. R. J. Brueck, "Imaging interferometric microscopy," Opt. Lett. 28, 1424-1426 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
9. S. A. Alexandrov, T. R. Hillman, T. Gutzler, and D. D. Sampson, "Synthetic aperture Fourier holographic optical microscopy," Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 168102 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. V. Mico, Z. Zalevsky, and J. Garcia, "Superresolution optical system by common-path interferometry," Opt. Express 14, 5168-5177 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
11. Y. Kuznetsova, A. Neumann, and S. R. J. Brueck, "Imaging interferometric microscopy - approaching the linear systems limits of optical resolution," Opt. Express 15, 6651 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
12. X. Chen and S. R. J. Brueck, "Imaging interferometric lithography - approaching the resolution limits of optics," Opt. Lett. 24, 124-126 (1999). [CrossRef]
13. Y. Kuznetsova, A. Neumann, and S. R. J. Brueck, "Imaging interferometric microscopy," J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 25, 811-822 (2008). [CrossRef]
14. I. Tamaguchi, J. Kato, S. Ohta, and J. Mizuno, "Image formation in phase-shifting digital holography and applications to microscopy," Appl. Opt. 40, 6177-6185 (2001). [CrossRef]
15. T. Kreis, Handbook of holographic interferometry: optical and digital methods (Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim, 2005).

Abbe, E.
Alexandrov, S. A.
Andrei, M. A.
Brueck, S. R. J.
Chen, X.
Donnert, G.
Eggeling, C.
Garcia, J.
Gustafsson, M. G. L.
Gutzler, T.
Hell, S. W.
Hillman, T. R.
Jahn, R.
Kato, J.
Keller, J.
Kuznetsova, Y.
Lucosz, W.
Lührmann, R.
Lukosz, W.
Marchant, M.
Medda, R.
Mico, V.
Mizuno, J.
Neumann, A.
Ohta, S.
Rizzoli, S. O.
Sampson, D. D.
Schwarz, C. J.
Tamaguchi, I.
Westphal, V.
Zalevsky, Z.

Appl. Opt.

• I. Tamaguchi, J. Kato, S. Ohta, and J. Mizuno, "Image formation in phase-shifting digital holography and applications to microscopy," Appl. Opt. 40, 6177-6185 (2001). [CrossRef]

Arch. Mikrosk. Anat. Entwicklungsmech.

• E. Abbe, Arch. Mikrosk. Anat. Entwicklungsmech. 9, 413 - 420 (1873). [CrossRef]

J Opt Soc Am A

• Y. Kuznetsova, A. Neumann, and S. R. J. Brueck, "Imaging interferometric microscopy," J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 25, 811-822 (2008). [CrossRef]

J. Microsc.

• M. G. L. Gustafsson, "Surpassing the lateral resolution limit by a factor of two using structured illumination microscopy," J. Microsc. 198, 82-87 (2000). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

J. Opt. Soc. Am.

• W. Lucosz, "Optical Systems with Resolving Powers Exceeding the Classical Limit," J. Opt. Soc. Am. 57, 932-941 (1967). [CrossRef]

Opt. Acta

• W. Lukosz and M. Marchant, "Optischen Abbildung Unter Ueberschreitung der Beugungsbedingten Aufloesungsgrenze," Opt. Acta 10, 241-255 (1963). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• V. Mico, Z. Zalevsky, and J. Garcia, "Superresolution optical system by common-path interferometry," Opt. Express 14, 5168-5177 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• Y. Kuznetsova, A. Neumann, and S. R. J. Brueck, "Imaging interferometric microscopy - approaching the linear systems limits of optical resolution," Opt. Express 15, 6651 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• X. Chen and S. R. J. Brueck, "Imaging interferometric lithography - approaching the resolution limits of optics," Opt. Lett. 24, 124-126 (1999). [CrossRef]
• C. J. Schwarz, Y. Kuznetsova, and S. R. J. Brueck, "Imaging interferometric microscopy," Opt. Lett. 28, 1424-1426 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• S. A. Alexandrov, T. R. Hillman, T. Gutzler, and D. D. Sampson, "Synthetic aperture Fourier holographic optical microscopy," Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 168102 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• V. Westphal and S. W. Hell, "Nanoscale resolution in the focal plane of an optical microscope," Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 143903 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.

• M. G. L. Gustafsson, "Nonlinear structured-illumination microscopy: Wide-field fluorescence imaging with theoretically unlimited resolution," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 102, 13081-13086, (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Proc. Natl. Acad. Soc. USA

• G. Donnert, J. Keller, R. Medda, M. A. Andrei, S. O. Rizzoli, R. Lührmann, R. Jahn, C. Eggeling, AND S. W. Hell, "Macromolecular-scale resolution in biological fluorescence microscopy," Proc. Natl. Acad. Soc. USA 103, 11440-11445 (2006). [CrossRef]

Other

• T. Kreis, Handbook of holographic interferometry: optical and digital methods (Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim, 2005).

2008, Kuznetsova, J Opt Soc Am A
2007, Kuznetsova, Opt. Express
2006, Donnert, Proc. Natl. Acad. Soc. USA
2006, Alexandrov, Phys. Rev. Lett.
2006, Mico, Opt. Express
2005, Gustafsson, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.
2005, Westphal, Phys. Rev. Lett.
2003, Schwarz, Opt. Lett.
2001, Tamaguchi, Appl. Opt.
2000, Gustafsson, J. Microsc.
1999, Chen, Opt. Lett.
1967, Lucosz, J. Opt. Soc. Am.
1963, Lukosz, Opt. Acta
1873, Abbe, Arch. Mikrosk. Anat. Entwicklungsmech.

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