Optimization theory and application of nano-microscopic properties of dielectric microspheres

TL;DR

This paper develops a comprehensive theoretical framework for dielectric microspheres, enabling optimization of their resolution, magnification, and imaging position, thereby advancing nano-microscopy techniques.

Contribution

It extends ray optics theory to dielectric microspheres, establishing formulas for key optical parameters and validating them through simulation and experiments.

Findings

Refractive index mismatch limits resolution.

Higher refractive index enhances magnification.

Optimal parameters improve dielectric microsphere imaging.

Abstract

The dielectric microsphere can be directly embedded into the traditional microscope, which can significantly improve the resolution of the microscope and provide a simple and feasible way to break through the diffraction limit of optical imaging system. However, due to the lack of effective theory and formula system, the resolution limit, magnification and optimal imaging position of the microsphere microsystem cannot be determined, which hinders its application. In this paper, the microscopic theory of dielectric microspheres is studied systematically, and the ray optics is extended to the imaging of dielectric microspheres, so as to establish a formula system containing important optical parameters such as resolution, magnification and imaging position, which provides a solid theoretical basis for further optimization of the nano-microscopic properties of dielectric microspheres. Compared with simulation and experiment, the correctness of the formula system is ensured. The formula shows that the mismatch between refractive index and ambient refractive index limits the resolution of microspheres, and it is an effective method to further improve the resolution to find the optimal refractive index ratio. In addition, the larger refractive index of the medium microsphere and the refractive index of the environment are conducive to the enhancement of the imaging magnification, but the working distance of the microscope objective must be taken into account in the experiment to obtain the ideal imaging position. The theoretical system proposed in this paper effectively explains the optical principle of dielectric microsphere imaging, gives optimized optical parameters, and has been applied in experiments, which is of great value for the practical application of dielectric microsphere nanometer microscopy.