Tsang’s resolution enhancement method for imaging with focused illumination

Abstract

A widely tested approach to overcoming the diffraction limit in microscopy without disturbing the sample relies on substituting widefield sample illumination with a structured light beam. This gives rise to confocal, image scanning, and structured illumination microscopy methods. On the other hand, as shown recently by Tsang and others, subdiffractional resolution at the detection end of the microscope can be achieved by replacing the intensity measurement in the image plane with spatial mode demultiplexing. In this work, we study the combined action of Tsang’s method with image scanning. We experimentally demonstrate superior lateral resolution and enhanced image quality compared to either method alone. This result paves the way for integrating spatial demultiplexing into existing microscopes, contributing to further pushing the boundaries of optical resolution.