Super-resolution enhancement by quantum image scanning microscopy

TL;DR

This paper introduces quantum image scanning microscopy (Q-ISM), which combines quantum photon correlation with traditional ISM to double the resolution, surpassing the diffraction limit in biological imaging.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel super-resolution technique that integrates quantum photon correlation measurements with image scanning microscopy, achieving up to four times resolution enhancement.

Findings

Q-ISM doubles the resolution of traditional ISM.

Super-resolved images of biological samples stained with quantum dots were obtained.

Photon antibunching was used as a contrast mechanism for resolution enhancement.

Abstract

The principles of quantum optics have yielded a plethora of ideas to surpass the classical limitations of sensitivity and resolution in optical microscopy. While some ideas have been applied in proof-of-principle experiments, imaging a biological sample has remained challenging mainly due to the inherently weak signal measured and the fragility of quantum states of light. In principle, however, these quantum protocols can add new information without sacrificing the classical information and can therefore enhance the capabilities of existing super-resolution techniques. Image scanning microscopy (ISM), a recent addition to the family of super-resolution methods, generates a robust resolution enhancement without sacrificing the signal level. Here we introduce quantum image scanning microscopy (Q-ISM): combining ISM with the measurement of quantum photon correlation allows increasing the resolution of ISM up to two-fold, four times beyond the diffraction limit. We introduce the Q-ISM principle and obtain super-resolved optical images of a biological sample stained with fluorescent quantum dots using photon antibunching, a quantum effect, as a resolution enhancing contrast mechanism.