We propose to use intensity correlation microscopy in combination with structured illumination to image quantum emitters that exhibit antibunching with a spatial resolution reaching far into the sub-classical regime. Combining intensity measurements and intensity auto correlations up to order m creates an effective PSF with FWHM shrunk by the factor p m. Structured Illumination microscopy on the other hand introduces a resolution improvement of factor 2 by use of the principle of moiré fringes. Here, we show that for linear low-intensity excitation and linear optical detection the simultaneous use of both techniques leads to an in theory unlimited resolution power with the improvement scaling favorably as m+sqrt m in dependence of the correlation order m. Hence, yielding this technique to be of the utmost interest for biological imaging. We present the underlying theory and simulations demonstrating the highly increased spatial superresolution, and point out requirements for an experimental implementation.

Date Published: 21 September 2017
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Proc. SPIE 10409, Quantum Communications and Quantum Imaging XV, 104090Q (21 September 2017); doi: 10.1117/12.2274646

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 10409:
Quantum Communications and Quantum Imaging XV
Ronald E. Meyers; Yanhua Shih; Keith S. Deacon, Editor(s)