Scattering Lens Resolves sub-100 nm Structures with Visible Light

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel scattering lens that uses multiple light scattering to achieve sub-100 nm resolution with visible light, enabling imaging of nanostructures previously unresolvable by conventional lenses.

Contribution

The authors introduce a new scattering lens design that attains nanometer-scale resolution at visible wavelengths, surpassing traditional optical limitations.

Findings

Achieved 97 nm resolution imaging of gold nanoparticles.

First lens to provide nanometer resolution in visible light.

Demonstrated practical implementation in gallium phosphide.

Abstract

The smallest structures that conventional lenses are able to optically resolve are of the order of 200 nm. We introduce a new type of lens that exploits multiple scattering of light to generate a scanning nano-sized optical focus. With an experimental realization of this lens in gallium phosphide we have succeeded to image gold nanoparticles at 97 nm optical resolution. Our work is the first lens that provides a resolution in the nanometer regime at visible wavelengths.