0. Super-resolution optical microscopy based on photonic crystal materials
Mickaël Guillaumée

1. Introduction: Optical Microscopy and Diffraction Limit
Resolution limit of an imaging system:
High NA : immersion objectives
Limit: small range of transparent materials with high n
Near Field Optical Microscopy: collection of evanescent waves (high k//) in close proximity to the studied sample
Really high resolution but very slow and not convenient
=> Necessity to find a Far-field technique for nanometre scale resolution microscopy
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2. Imaging through Photonic Crystal Space
Principle:
Test object
Fourier Transform (FT)
k space collected by the objective
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3. Imaging through Photonic Crystal Space
Principle:
Test object
Fourier Transform (FT)
Inverse FT of the area inside the circle
k space collected by the objective
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4. Imaging through Photonic Crystal Space
Principle:
Test object
Fourier Transform (FT) K
k spaces with integer number of K are equivalent
N. Le Thomas, R. Houdré et al. Grating-assisted superresolution of slow waves in Fourier space, Physical Review B, 76,
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5. Imaging through Photonic Crystal Space
Principle:
Inverse FT of the area inside the circles
Test object
Fourier Transform (FT) K
k spaces with integer number of K are equivalent
PO-014 | M. Guillaumée | Page 5

6. Imaging through Photonic Crystal Space
When spatial filtering with photonic crystal can be considered valid?
Bloch wave:
Necessity to get constant to get high spatial frequencies:
=> Achieved for high modulation of RIX
First Brillouin zone wave vector
Inverse lattice wave vectors
B. Lombardet, L. A. Dunbar, R. Ferrini, and R. Houdré. Fourier analysis of Bloch wave propagation in photonic crystals, J. Opt. Soc. Am. B, 22, 1179, 2005
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7. From theory to experiment…
Need for far field imaging: transfer high spatial frequency in free space
=> Image magnification above the diffraction limit should be produced by the photonic crystal based microscope
Curved photonic crystal boundary as a magnifying lens:
=> Challenging because refraction highly dependent on frequency and propagation direction
Solution: reflecting optics
=> Curvature of the boundary in order to get a magnified image
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8. Experimental procedure: surface polaritonic crystal
2D photonic crystal material replaced by surface polaritonic crystal:
Surface Plasmon Polariton (SPP) wave surface wave propagating at an interface metal/dielectric
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9. Experimental procedure: surface polaritonic crystal
2D photonic crystal material replaced by surface polaritonic crystal:
Surface Plasmon Polariton (SPP) wave surface wave propagating at an interface metal/dielectric
Excitation by a periodic structure : K
C. Genet and T. W. Ebbesen. Light in tiny holes, Nature 445, 39, 2007
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10. Photonic crystal and SPP: historical information
Full photonic Band Gap observed for the first time in the visible with SPP
Kitsen, Barnes and Sambles. Full Photonic Band Gap for Surface Modes in the Visible, Physical Review Letters, 77, 2670, 1996
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11. Experimental procedure
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12. Experimental procedure
Propagation of “SPP Bloch waves” with right excitation condition
Reflection on a glycerin droplet boundary acting as an efficient magnifying mirror (high neff)
Image formation at the exit of the “SPP crystal lens” (after the nanohole array)
Scattering of light into free space due to surface roughness (higher in the image formation area)
Collection with a regular microscope
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13. 100nm hole diameter, 40nm distance between hole edges, 500nm period
Experimental results
High resolution but distortion of the image (image magnification depend on the object position with respect to the mirror
100nm hole diameter, 40nm distance between hole edges, 500nm period
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14. Experimental results: biological application
T4 phage virus: 200nm long, 80nm wide
T4 phage virus
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15. Conclusion Interesting scientific concept
Technique has to be improved:
Image distortion in that configuration
Control of the mirror
No theoretical prediction of the microscope resolution
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16. Thank you for your attention.