Surface sensing systems and methods for imaging a scanned surface of a sample via sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy

A method for imaging a sample, the method comprising:

• exposing the sample to a visible light beam;
• inducing optical resonance within a structure in the sample due to exposure of the sample to a tunable infrared (IR) beam;
• receiving a portion of an emitted light beam, which includes a sum frequency signal between the visible light beam and the tunable IR beam, from the sample with a light detection system;
• based on receiving the portion of the emitted light beam, generating an image of the sample, wherein generating the image of the sample includes oversampling the sample to generate a plurality of images of the sample, wherein the oversampling is such that an imaged structure in each of the plurality of images is in different locations;
• and
• combining the plurality of images to generate a higher-resolution image of the sample than what is represented in a single image of the sample, wherein the differently located imaged structure from each of the plurality of images are combined to result in a combined location of the imaged structure within the higher-resolution image.