What is superresolution microscopy?

Abstract

I explain what is, what is not, and what is only sort of superresolution microscopy. I discuss optical resolution, first in terms of diffraction theory, then in terms of linear systems theory, and finally in terms of techniques that use prior information, nonlinearity, and other tricks to improve performance. The discussion reveals two classes of superresolution: Pseudo superresolution techniques improve images up to the diffraction limit but not much beyond. True superresolution techniques allow substantial, useful improvements beyond the diffraction limit. The two classes are distinguished by their scaling of resolution with photon counts. Understanding the limits to imaging resolution involves concepts that pertain to almost any measurement problem, implying that the framework given here has broad application beyond optics.

9 pages, 5 figures

References in corpus (8)

• Quantum Interferometric Optical Lithography: Exploiting Entanglement to Beat The Diffraction Limit
• Universal emission intermittency in quantum dots, nanorods, and nanowires
• Super-resolution without Evanescent Waves
• Scalable Spatial Super-Resolution using Entangled Photons
• Power spectrum analysis with least-squares fitting: Amplitude bias and its elimination, with application to optical tweezers and atomic force microscope cantilevers
• Theoretical Limits on Errors and Acquisition Rates in Localizing Switchable Fluorophores
• Human Time-Frequency Acuity Beats the Fourier Uncertainty Principle
• Asymptotics of Bayesian Error Probability and Rotating-PSF-Based Source Super-Localization in Three Dimensions

Cited by in corpus (5)

• General theory for super-sensitive dual-wavelength phase metrology: error-free unwrapping and signal-to-noise ratio
• Super-resolution far-ultraviolet equivalent-wavelength interferometry combining the phase of several visible-wavelength interferograms
• Extended depth-range profilometry using the phase-difference and phase-sum of two close-sensitivity projected fringes
• Far-field intensity signature of sub-wavelength microscopic objects
• Microscope Project for Undergraduate Laboratories