title: 3D fluorescence microscopy with isotropic resolution on the nanoscale
creator: Schmidt, Roman
subject: 530
subject: 530 Physics
description: The resolution of any linear imaging system is given by its point-spread-function (PSF) quantifying the blur of an object point in the image. The sharper the PSF, the better is the resolution. In standard fluorescence microscopy, however, diffraction dictates a PSF with a cigar-shaped main maximum, called the focal spot which extends over at least half the wavelength of light (L = 400-800 nm) in the focal plane and > L along the optic axis (z). While concepts have evolved to sharpen the focal spot both laterally and axially, none of them has reached their ultimate goal: a spherical spot that can be arbitrarily downscaled in size. Herein, I introduce such a fluorescence microscope and demonstrate the creation of spherical focal spots of 40-45 nm (~ L/16) diameter that is pushed down to 21-30 nm (~ L/30) under suitable conditions. Fully relying on focused light, this lens-based fluorescence nanoscope unravels the interior of cells noninvasively, uniquely dissecting their sub-L sized organelles. Further fields of application open up, such as the characterization of novel nanomaterials. 
date: 2008
type: Dissertation
type: info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis
type: NonPeerReviewed
format: application/pdf
identifier: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserverhttps://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/9396/1/Thesis_Roman_Schmidt.pdf
identifier: DOI:10.11588/heidok.00009396
identifier: urn:nbn:de:bsz:16-opus-93966
identifier:   Schmidt, Roman  (2008) 3D fluorescence microscopy with isotropic resolution on the nanoscale.  [Dissertation]     
relation: https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/9396/
rights: info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights: http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/help/license_urhg.html
language: eng