Quantum optics meets microscopy – An ultra-sensitive resonator microscope for nano- and life sciences

Session

Poster Session Three

Authors

Dr. Florian Steiner (1), Dr. Manuel Nutz (2), Dr. Rute Fernandes (1), Ines Amersdorffer (1), Dr. Michael Förg (1, 2), Dr. Jonathan Noé (1, 2), Dr. Thomas Hümmer (1, 2)

Affiliations

1. Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich
2. Qlibri GmbH

Keywords

Label-free imaging, Resonator microscopy, Optical absorption spectroscopy, Bioimaging, Medical diagnostics

Abstract text

Isolated nanoscale systems provide only weak interaction with light due to their small size and therefore often escape direct observation in conventional light microscopy. This limits insights into individual nanosystems and slows down research in the fields of nanotechnology, material science, drug design, and pharmaceutical diagnostics.

To overcome these limitations, our group developed a microscope based on optical micro-resonators, a technology pioneered in quantum optics [1]. In these resonators, light passes a sample up to 100.000 times and thereby enhances weak absorption signals tremendously. By means of micro-resonators with a small mode waist, a scanning microscopy approach, i.e. ultra-sensitive spatially resolved absorption measurements near the diffraction limit, can be performed [2], allowing the imaging of extinction cross sections of 1 nm2 in real time.

The potential of this new type of microscopes is illustrated by imaging of individual carbon nanotubes [3], and 2D-materials [4,5]. We also highlight the impact of our technique on the life sciences by demonstrating label free imaging of ultrathin biological sections [6].

References

1. D. Hunger et al., New J. Phys. 12, 065038 (2010)

2. M. Mader et al., Nat. Commun. 6, 7249 (2015)

3. T. Hümmer et al., Nat. Commun. 7, 12155 (2016)

4. M. Förg et al., Nat. Commun. 10, 3697 (2019)

5. F. Sigger, I. Amersdorffer et al., J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 13 (44), 10291 (2022)

6. J. Noe et al., Imaging & Microscopy 4 (2022)