Sub-diffraction-limited patterning and imaging
AssigneeUniversity of Utah Research Foundation
InventorRajesh Menon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for sub-diffraction-limited patterning using a photoswitchable layer is disclosed. A sample of the photoswitchable layer can be selectively exposed to a first wavelength of illumination that includes a super-oscillatory peak. The sample can be selectively exposed to a second wavelength of illumination that does not include the super-oscillatory peak. A region in the sample that corresponds to the super-oscillatory peak and is associated with the second transition state can optionally be converted into a third transition state. The region in the sample at the third transition state can constitute a pattern of an isolated feature with a size that is substantially smaller than a far-field diffraction limit.
Claims23
A method for sub-diffraction-limited patterning using a photoswitchable layer, the method comprising:
- selectively exposing a sample of the photoswitchable layer to a first wavelength of illumination that includes a super-oscillatory peak, wherein a region in the sample that corresponds to the super-oscillatory peak is converted from a first transition state to a second transition state, wherein selected regions in the sample that do not correspond to the super-oscillatory peak are converted from the first transition state to the second transition state;
- selectively exposing the sample to a second wavelength of illumination that does not include the super-oscillatory peak, wherein the selected regions in the sample are converted back to the first transition state and the region in the sample that corresponds to the super-oscillatory peak remains in the second transition state.
A method for sub-diffraction-limited imaging, the method comprising:
- selectively exposing a sample containing a distribution of fluorophores to a first wavelength of illumination that does not include a super-oscillating node;
- selectively exposing the sample containing the distribution of fluorophores to a second wavelength of illumination that includes the super-oscillating node;
- and
- scanning the sample with respect to the first wavelength of illumination and the second wavelength of illumination in order to create a sub-diffraction-limited image.
An imaging system operable to perform sub-diffraction-limited patterning, the system comprising:
- a spatial light modulator (SLM) configured to produce at least two illuminations of light, wherein the illuminations of light include a first wavelength of illumination and a second wavelength of illumination;
- a super-oscillating lens configured to generate a defined super-oscillating function for the second wavelength of illumination, wherein the second wavelength of illumination includes a super-oscillatory peak and the first wavelength of illumination does not include the super-oscillatory peak;
- and
- a sample that is selectively exposed to the first wavelength of illumination and the second wavelength of illumination such that a pattern from the sample is imaged with a size that is substantially smaller than a far-field diffraction limit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.