Publication

Bibliographic Data

  • Authors: Hell, S.W.,Jakobs, S. and Kastrup, L.
  • Title: Imaging and writing at the nanoscale with focused visible light through saturable optical transitions
  • Journal: Appl. Phys. A
  • Volume: 77
  • Issue: 7
  • Volume: 859-860
  • DOI: 10.1007/s00339-003-2292-4

Abstract

Effecting a saturable optical molecular transition with a spatial intensity distribution featuring a local minimum allows the fundamental breaking of the diffraction barrier both in microscopy and in material structuring. If the transition can be repeatedly reverted, as in switchable fluorescent proteins and photochromic compounds, fluorescence imaging and writing is possible with spatial resolution down to the molecular scale.