Three-dimensional nanoscale localization of point-like objects using self-interference digital holography

We propose localizing point-like fluorescent emitters in three dimensions with nanometer precision throughout large volumes using self-interference digital holography (SIDH). SIDH enables imaging of incoherently emitting objects over large axial ranges without refocusing, and single molecule localization techniques allow sub50 nm resolution in the lateral and axial dimensions. We demonstrate three-dimensional localisation with SIDH by imaging 100 and 40 nm fluorescent nanospheres. With 49,000 photons detected, SIDH achieves a localization precision of 5 nm laterally and 40 nm axially. We are able to detect the nanospheres from as few as 13,000 detected photons. (C) 2020 Optical Society of America