4:15 PM - 4:30 PM
▲ [5p-A409-10] Diagram Method for Resolution Limit Calculation in Laser Microscopy
Keywords:Image-forming theory
In 1873, Ernst Abbe established the modern theory of image formation in optical microscopy and derived the well-known formula for optical resolution, d=lambda/2NA, which corresponds to frequency cutoff (resolution limit) of 2NA/lambda. Recently many kinds of laser microscopy have been developed by means of a variety of light-matter interactions. Although the Abbe’s definition of resolution limit is still used as the standard, it is relatively unknown that 2NA/lambda can be applied only to the microscopy utilizing chi(1)-derived light-matter interaction such as linear absorption. If taking advantage of higher order chi(i)-derived interactions (i is larger than 1), the resolution limit may surpass 2NA/lambda.In this study, we formulated the rules for the calculation of resolution limit in all laser microscopy that employ arbitrary interactions described by the double-sided Feynman diagram. We have added the third purpose for Feynman diagram (calculation of resolution limit) to the first purpose (calculation of chi(i) and the second purpose (classification of interactions). The kind of optical process determines the resolution limit if no priori information on the object exists.