Silien, C,Liu, N,Hendaoui, N,Tofail, SAM,Peremans, A

2012

January

Optics Express

A framework for far-field infrared absorption microscopy beyond the diffraction limit

Published

()

STRUCTURED-ILLUMINATION MICROSCOPY RAMAN-SCATTERING MICROSCOPY DEPLETION FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY OPTICAL RECONSTRUCTION MICROSCOPY VIBRATIONAL-ENERGY RELAXATION PUMP-PROBE SPECTROSCOPY GROUND-STATE-DEPLETION SYNCHROTRON-RADIATION RESOLUTION LIMIT FTIR SPECTROMICROSCOPY

20

29694

29704

A framework is proposed for infrared (IR) absorption microscopy in the far-field with a spatial resolution below the diffraction limit. The sub-diffraction resolution is achieved by pumping a transient contrast in the population of a selected vibrational mode with IR pulses that exhibit alternating central minima and maxima, and by probing the corresponding absorbance at the same wavelength with adequately delayed Gaussian pulses. Simulations have been carried out on the basis of empirical parameters emulating patterned thin films of octadecyltrichlorosilane and a resolution of 250 nm was found when probing the CH2 stretches at 3.5 mu m with pump energies less than ten times the vibrational saturation threshold. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America

10.1364/OE.20.029694