Abstract
Effecting a saturable optical molecular transition with a spatial intensity distribution featuring a local minimum allows the fundamental breaking of the diffraction barrier both in microscopy and in material structuring. If the transition can be repeatedly reverted, as in switchable fluorescent proteins and photochromic compounds, fluorescence imaging and writing is possible with spatial resolution down to the molecular scale.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
S.W. Hell, J. Wichmann: Opt. Lett. 19, 780 (1994)
S.W. Hell, M. Kroug: Appl. Phys. B 60, 495 (1995)
S.W. Hell: Topics in Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Vol. 5, ed. by J.R. Lakowicz (Plenum, New York 1997)
M. Dyba, S.W. Hell: Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 163901 (2002)
T. Wilson, C.J.R. Sheppard: Theory and Practice of Scanning Optical Microscopy (Academic, New York 1984)
R. Heintzmann, T.M. Jovin: J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 19, 1599 (2002)
T.A. Klar, S. Jakobs, M. Dyba, A. Egner, S.W. Hell: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97, 8206 (2000)
K.A. Lukyanov, A.F. Fradkov, N.G. Gurskaya, M.V. Matz, Y.A. Labas, A.P. Savitsky, M.L. Markelov, A.G. Zaraisky, X.N. Zhao, Y. Fang, W.Y. Tan, S.A. Lukyanov: J. Biol. Chem. 275, 25879 (2000)
M. Irie, T. Fukaminato, T. Sasaki, N. Tamai, T. Kawai: Nature 420, 759 (2002)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
PACS
42.30.Lr; 81.16.Nd; 81.16.Rf; 78.45.+h
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hell, S., Jakobs, S. & Kastrup, L. Imaging and writing at the nanoscale with focused visible light through saturable optical transitions. Appl Phys A 77, 859–860 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-003-2292-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-003-2292-4