Phys.org  November 1, 2022 When measuring with light, the lateral extent of the structures that can be resolved by an optical imaging system is fundamentally diffraction limited. Researchers in Germany have developed an approach that uses microspheres placed directly on the surface of the object to extend the limits of interferometric topography measurements for optical resolution of small structures. They identified microspheres and photonic nanojets to explain the resolution enhancement. They extended the model with respect to microsphere-assisted interference microscopy providing a rigorous simulation of the scattered electric field directly above the sphere. Simulation and experimental results were compared in […]