Numerical study of super-resolved optical microscopy with partly staggered beams

Abstract

The resolving power of optical microscopy involving two or even more beams, such as pump-probe microscopy and nonlinear optical microscopy, can be enhanced both laterally and longitudinally with partly staggered beams. A numerical study of the new super-resolution imaging technology is performed with vector diffraction theory. The influence of polarization is discussed. A resolving power of sub-100 nm and sub-300 nm in the lateral and longitudinal directions, respectively, is achievable.