Beyond the diffraction limit with a quantum confinement effect (QCE) image sensor

Abstract

The quantum confinement effect was successfully applied in quantum optical lithography to pattern structures in 1–10 nm domain. In this paper, the breakdown of the light diffraction limit was extended to optical instruments (telescope and microscope). Optical writing of the QCE image sensor was realized at a resolution of 60 nm. The novel, to the best of our knowledge, type of the 1GPixel image sensor has potential applications in (i) astronomy (angular resolution increases ∼240× at F/D = 24), and (ii) optical microscopy (resolution ∼8nm at 660 nm). An optical microscope with atomic resolution is proposed. Exceeding the light diffraction limit, the theoretical growth of the angular resolution of the telescope could attain an amplification factor of ∼14,000×.