Method and system for enhanced single particle reflectance imaging

A method for imaging nanoparticles comprising:

• providing a target substrate having a target reflective surface wherein the target substrate includes a base substrate, the base substrate including a base reflective surface and a spacer layer mounted to the base reflective surface, the spacer layer having a predefined thickness providing a specific spatial confinement of scattered light and providing the target reflective surface;
• illuminating the target reflective surface with illuminating light along an illumination path whereby reflected and scattered light from the target reflective surface and the base reflective surface is received along a collection path to one or more imaging sensors;
• receiving by at least one imaging sensor the reflected and scattered light along the collection path from the target reflective surface and the base reflective surface, the reflected light and the scattered light creating an interference pattern in the imaging sensor plane;
• where the collection path includes at least one amplitude or phase mask having a predefined numerical aperture configured to adjust the light along the collection path as a function of the wavelength of the reflected and scattered light and the predefined thickness of the spacer layer.