Patent attributes
Exemplary embodiments provide an image interferometric microscope (IIM) and methods for image interferometric microscopy. The disclosed IIM can approach the linear systems limits of optical resolution by using a plurality of off-axis illuminations to access high spatial frequencies along with interferometric reintroduction of a zero-order reference beam on the low-NA side of the optical system. In some embodiments, a thin object can be placed normal to the optical axis and the frequency space limit can be extended to about [(1+NA)n/λ], where NA is the numerical-aperture of the objective lens used, n is the refraction index of the transmission medium and λ is an optical wavelength. In other embodiments, tilting the object plane can further allow collection of diffraction information up to the material transmission bandpass limited spatial frequency of about 2n/λ.
