Super-resolving nonlinear fluorescence microscopy with pump-probe setup using repetitive stimulated transition

Super-resolving nonlinear fluorescence microscopy with a pump-probe setup that utilizes repetitive stimulated absorption and stimulated emission caused by two-color beams was developed. The resulting nonlinear fluorescence that undergoes such a repetitive stimulated transition is detectable as a signal via the lock-in technique. The signal is produced by a multiplicative combination of incident beams, which leads to an improvement of the optical resolution. A phenomenological interpretation of the nonlinear fluorescence process that offers estimation of signal properties is provided with rate equations. The proposed method is demonstrated to provide the scalability of the optical resolution. (c) 2018 The Japan Society of Applied Physics