Microsphere-Assisted Interference Microscopy

Abstract

Microsphere-assisted microscopy is a new two-dimensional super- resolution imaging technique, which allows the diffraction limit to be overcome by introducing a transparent microsphere in a classical optical microscope. This super-resolution technique makes it possible to reach a lateral resolution of up to one hundred nanometres. Furthermore, microsphere-assisted microscopy distinguishes itself from others by being able to perform label-free and full-field acquisitions and requires only slight modifications of a classical white light microscope. Extended to three-dimensional surface measurement through interference microscopy which has the advantage of providing a high-axial sensitivity, super-resolution topography or the volume distribution of objects can thus be reconstructed depending on the interference method employed. This chapter first presents a brief history of optical microscopy and recent advances in optical nanoscopy. Then, the super-resolution phenomenon through microspheres is introduced and its performance is described. Finally, the combination of optical interferometry with nanoscopy based on microspheres, giving microsphere-assisted interference microscopy, is exposed.