TiO2 (or yeast cells) superlenses, 90nm optical resolution

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tpruuden
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TiO2 (or yeast cells) superlenses, 90nm optical resolution

#1 Post by tpruuden » Mon Nov 08, 2021 10:49 pm

Interesting publication, they reached ~90nm optical resolution using TiO2 microspheres, production recipe also given:

https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6732/8/6/222

It seems easy enough methodology to actually test it out. Has anyone here already experimented with TiO2 or BaTiO3 superlenses?
Last edited by tpruuden on Wed Nov 10, 2021 3:20 am, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: TiO2 superlenses, 90nm optical resolution

#2 Post by apochronaut » Mon Nov 08, 2021 11:58 pm

This seems similar to a system I read about a couple or more years ago at an either Taiwan or Korean U. that used nano lenses to increase the object diameter by 25X prior to the magnification in the microscope. The paper I read seemed promising.

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Re: TiO2 superlenses, 90nm optical resolution

#3 Post by patta » Tue Nov 09, 2021 5:38 am

Tried just now, this microspheres trick (not TiO3...) seems to work indeed.
Issue.. how can we find/make a decent 100nm, flat test target??

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Re: TiO2 superlenses, 90nm optical resolution

#4 Post by tpruuden » Tue Nov 09, 2021 7:45 am

patta wrote:
Tue Nov 09, 2021 5:38 am
Tried just now, this microspheres trick (not TiO3...) seems to work indeed.
Issue.. how can we find/make a decent 100nm, flat test target??
What material spheres? As target, Blu-ray disk (surface peel) may be useful, as the dots are approx 130x150nm.

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Re: TiO2 superlenses, 90nm optical resolution

#5 Post by patta » Tue Nov 09, 2021 11:29 pm

Good idea the Bluray, but was tough! Getting a bluray disk, in this Netfilx age... at the end, found some in a vintage shop.
Cut, together with a DVD and a CD. Now I have a set of test slides.
But, still some hills:
I can resolve the lines of the DVD (~0.7 micron pitch) but only with normal 100x oil objective. A 40x 0.65 - in principle - should manage already? But mine shows only some mess with faint accents of structure.
The Bluray instead, total failure, many attempts but can't see nothing, just an uniform grey, where there should be clear lines with 0.32 micron pitch. Even with my beloved 1.40 NA little baby; that is worrisome. Or not realistic? How the heck those bluray readers manage?

Now with those Micro-meta-spheres, they're not collaborating, I've tried for now on the DVD and they're just juggling around with their #%%%# Brownian motion, instead of sitting on the track and do their magnify job.

Here, a short video of the modest reality
https://youtu.be/p8XnOOYd-JA

Material of the micro-juggling-superlenses? :lol: High tech stuff. Guess!

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Re: TiO2 superlenses, 90nm optical resolution

#6 Post by patta » Wed Nov 10, 2021 1:14 am

Here we go, managed to literally clamp those spheres down.
Ditched the mechanical stage: clips rule.

Below the images; with some fantasy, i'd say that it worked, the micro-lens enlarges the test pattern beneath. (the faint dark lines in the bottom image..) Wooha! I feel like a kid, first time he sees a lens.
It is still just the DVD, with its meagre 0.7 micron pitch. To enlarge enlarges, but don't know if it does all the other superresolution magics.
DVD movie in High Resolution
DVD movie in High Resolution
microlenses_on_DVD_photos.jpg (83.35 KiB) Viewed 4427 times
Edit: images above, objective HI 100x 1.30, dry condenser ~ 0.90

Edit: after those result, I'll be more respectful toward researchers that write "we worked very hard, and the image contrast is a bit improved"
Last edited by patta on Wed Nov 10, 2021 11:49 am, edited 3 times in total.

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Re: TiO2 superlenses, 90nm optical resolution

#7 Post by tpruuden » Wed Nov 10, 2021 1:39 am

Nice work, the last image seems to show the increased contrast and magnification quite well. Again - what material microspheres where used, what source? Publication promises greater contrast for the TiO2 and another one 2x better resolution for half spheres. The need for sphere fixation against Brownian motion is interesting point.

Edit:
Well, had to modify the subject for even greater coolness - apparently yeast cells can work as the microspheres according to this publication:
https://www.osapublishing.org/boe/fullt ... &id=462500

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Re: TiO2 (or yeast cells) superlenses, 90nm optical resolution

#8 Post by patta » Wed Nov 10, 2021 8:46 am

Yeast, that's a nice idea, I often look at it but never tought about this use as lens array.
It is quite ideal: spherical cells, all of the same size, they even naturally adhere to the substrate and form a uniform, close packed layer. Easy procurement too!

About the microsphere materials used for previous posts, a hint:
I was impatient; couldn't wait for the whole system to ferment and produce yeast cells...

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Re: TiO2 (or yeast cells) superlenses, 90nm optical resolution

#9 Post by patta » Mon Nov 15, 2021 4:49 pm

Well, not sure if is really true, but maybe it works.
Forgetting any doubt, let's do like the leading scientific journals: if the title is bold, publish it!
And the secret microsphere material is...
.
Mayonnaise_resolves_320_nanometers_lets_ditch_our_planapos.jpg
Mayonnaise_resolves_320_nanometers_lets_ditch_our_planapos.jpg (115.63 KiB) Viewed 4280 times

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Re: TiO2 (or yeast cells) superlenses, 90nm optical resolution

#10 Post by tpruuden » Wed Nov 17, 2021 8:49 am

:D, definitely nice find!
patta wrote:
Mon Nov 15, 2021 4:49 pm
Well, not sure if is really true, but maybe it works.
Forgetting any doubt, let's do like the leading scientific journals: if the title is bold, publish it!
And the secret microsphere material is...
.
Mayonnaise_resolves_320_nanometers_lets_ditch_our_planapos.jpg

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Re: TiO2 (or yeast cells) superlenses, 90nm optical resolution

#11 Post by Scarodactyl » Wed Nov 17, 2021 6:56 pm

Finally a definitive answer to the old question, "is mayonaisse an instrument?" Apparently, in the scientific sense of the word, yes.

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Re: TiO2 (or yeast cells) superlenses, 90nm optical resolution

#12 Post by patta » Sat Nov 20, 2021 9:03 pm

tpruuden wrote:
Wed Nov 17, 2021 8:49 am
:D, definitely nice find!
patta wrote:
Mon Nov 15, 2021 4:49 pm
And the secret microsphere material is...
Have you tried yet this powerful scientific instrument?

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Re: TiO2 (or yeast cells) superlenses, 90nm optical resolution

#13 Post by tpruuden » Sat Nov 27, 2021 1:21 am

Have not yet walked down the avenida Mayonnaise - less elegant and more complex approaches have slowly grown to the samples here...

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Re: TiO2 (or yeast cells) superlenses, 90nm optical resolution

#14 Post by patta » Mon Nov 29, 2021 1:16 pm

As long as the growing microlenses don't eat the specimen....

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