Massachusetts Institute of Technology

George Cragg

Peter T C So

Chen-Yuan Dong

Hyuk-Sang Kwon

The invention features a microscopy system for imaging a sample including: a substantially transparent optical block having an interface for positioning the sample adjacent the interface; a light source which during operation overlaps at least two optical beams at the interface, the source directing the beams into the block towards the interface at incident angles that cause the beams to reflect from the interface and establish an evanescent standing wave of electromagnetic energy that extends away from the interface and into the sample; and a detector which during operation records an image of the sample based on optical radiation emitted from the sample in response to the evanescent standing wave. The invention also features a method for determining a high-resolution image of a sample including: coupling an evanescent standing wave of electromagnetic energy into the sample; recording an image of the sample based on radiation emitted from the sample in response to the evanescent standing wave for each of multiple positions of the standing wave; and constructing the high-resolution image based on the multiple recorded images.

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Somerville, MA, United States of America

George Cragg