Abstract

The new concept of superresolution microscopy involving nonradiative field detection by optical tunneling is analyzed in light of the Heisenberg principle and the Rayleigh criterion. A connection is demonstrated between the evanescent field components and the system’s resolving power. This work is quite general and can be applied to scanning electronic tunneling microscopy.

© 1992 Optical Society of America

Superresolution of near-field optical microscopy defined from properties of confined electromagnetic waves

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