Imaging performance of Bessel beam microscopy

Abstract

This Letter analyzes the imaging performance of Bessel beam microscopy (BBM), an imaging technique that places an axicon in the light path of a microscope. Like other superresolution imaging techniques that attempt to narrow the point spread function, in BBM there is a trade-off between spatial resolution and relative brightness of the images. The performance of BBM is analyzed using two parameters, gain and Strehl ratio, which measure the relative spatial resolution increase and relative brightness of the images, respectively. Analytical relationships for both of these parameters are provided and compared to results calculated from simulations. Finally, an optimized BBM system design is presented which has a gain of 0.7 and a Strehl ratio of 0.9.

Breaking diffraction limit of far-field imaging via structured illumination Bessel beam microscope (SIBM)

“…Figure 8 shows the comparison of point spread function of a conventional microscope configuration and its modified version with the BBM unit. As earlier demonstrated by Snoeyink et al, the BBM unit improves the resolution of the conventional wide field microscope by narrowing the peak of point spread function (PSF) [15,16]. It is also evident from our optical simulation that there is a reduction in the PSF when the BBM unit is attached to the conventional microscopic configuration (Fig.…”

“…The recently developed Bessel beam microscope (BBM) system by Snoeyink et al, has used unstructured broadband illumination to attain sub-diffraction limited imaging by incorporating a convex lens in series with an axicon lens in the optical path of a microscope [15,16]. The non-diffractive nature of the Bessel beam plays a major role in the BBM system [17].…”

Subwavelength Optical Engineering with Metasurface Waves

“…This requires the lenses to be placed at the near field of the object and/or image, which is not practical for telescopic applications. In parallel with these near‐field techniques, pure far‐field super‐resolution techniques have also been suggested in recent years, including the far‐field fluorescence microscopy, the Bessel beam microscopy, as well as the optical superoscillation . Although the far‐field fluorescence microscopy has achieved resolution below 10 nm and enabled similar techniques in super‐resolution lithography, this technique is not suitable for nonfluorescent applications.…”

Bessel Beam Diffraction by an Aperture in an Opaque Screen

“…The circular aperture problems are important for the microwave antenna systems and also the optic devices such as lenses, microscopes. Imaging performance of the Bessel beam microscopy was analyzed by Snoeyink in terms of the relative spatial resolution increase and relative brightness of images [19]. The light used in microscopy illumination is also important.…”