Method of spatial high resolution imaging of a structure of a sample, the structure comprising a luminophore

A method of high spatial resolution imaging of a structure of a sample, the structure comprising a luminophore, the method comprising

• in a measurement area, subjecting the sample to an intensity distribution of excitation inhibiting light transferring the luminophore out of an excitable electronic ground state into a protection state in which the luminophore is protected against electronic excitation by luminescence excitation light and by luminescence de-excitation light, the intensity distribution of the excitation inhibiting light comprising a first local minimum;
• in the measurement area, subjecting the sample to the luminescence excitation light exciting the luminophore which, within the first local minimum of the intensity distribution of the excitation inhibiting light, is still in its excitable electronic ground state into an excited luminescent state;
• in the measurement area, subjecting the sample to an intensity distribution of the luminescence de-excitation light returning the luminophore out of the excited luminescent state into the excitable electronic ground state, the intensity distribution of the luminescence de-excitation light comprising a second local minimum overlapping with the first local minimum of the intensity distribution of the excitation inhibiting light;
• registering luminescence light emitted out of the measurement area;
• assigning the registered luminescence light to the position of the second local minimum of the intensity distribution of the luminescence de-excitation light within the sample;
• scanning the sample with the second local minimum of the intensity distribution of the luminescence de-excitation light;
• and
• repeating the steps of subjecting, registering and assigning for a plurality of positions of the second local minimum of the intensity distribution of the luminescence de-excitation light within the sample.