Abstract
For more than a century, the resolution of focusing light microscopy has been limited by diffraction to 180 nm in the focal plane and to 500 nm along the optic axis. Recently, microscopes have been reported that provide three- to sevenfold improved axial resolution in live cells. Moreover, a family of concepts has emerged that overcomes the diffraction barrier altogether. Its first exponent, stimulated emission depletion microscopy, has so far displayed a resolution down to 28 nm. Relying on saturated optical transitions, these concepts are limited only by the attainable saturation level. As strong saturation should be feasible at low light intensities, nanoscale imaging with focused light may be closer than ever.
Keywords
MicroscopyOpticsDiffractionSTED microscopyResolution (logic)Saturation (graph theory)Nanoscopic scalePhotoactivated localization microscopyOptical microscopeSuper-resolution microscopyFluorescence microscopeFluorescenceStimulated emissionMaterials scienceLight sheet fluorescence microscopyPhysicsNanotechnologyScanning electron microscopeLaserComputer science
MeSH Terms
Image EnhancementMicroscopyConfocalMicroscopyFluorescenceNanotechnologySensitivity and SpecificityTechnology AssessmentBiomedical
Affiliated Institutions
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Publication Info
- Year
- 2003
- Type
- review
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 1347-1355
- Citations
- 990
- Access
- Closed
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Cite This
Stefan W. Hell
(2003).
Toward fluorescence nanoscopy.
Nature Biotechnology
, 21
(11)
, 1347-1355.
https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt895
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1038/nbt895
- PMID
- 14595362