TY  - GEN
Y1  - 2008///
TI  - 3D fluorescence microscopy with isotropic resolution on the nanoscale
AV  - public
KW  - isoSTED
KW  -  4Pi
KW  -  STED
KW  -  Nanoskopie
KW  -  MikroskopieisoSTED
KW  -  4Pi
KW  -  sub-diffraction
KW  -  nanoscopy
KW  -  microscopy
ID  - heidok9396
UR  - https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/9396/
A1  - Schmidt, Roman
N2  - 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. 
ER  -