Point-Spread Function Reduction through High-Harmonic Generation Deactivation

Super-resolution microscopy is a powerful tool to resolve processes on the nm-scale. Label-free techniques are the preferred choice for imaging of unstained biological samples and nanoscale semiconductor devices [1]. Here a new microscopy technique is proposed based on generation of harmonics in solid materials and the deactivation of these harmonics using a second light beam. The temporal modulation of harmonics using light pulses is a subject of current research in a variety of materials, from strongly correlated [2], to 2D [3]. Using an approach similar to STED microscopy [4] this effect can be used to improve the resolution without labeling the sample.