Microspherical nanoscopy: is it a reliable technique?

Abstract

We looked at the typical resolution provided by microspheres in nanoobject imaging. The resolution was studied with two kinds of materials: high-index barium titanate glass and low-index polystyrene. Spheres of different sizes were taken, and thus we also checked if there is any dependence of the resolution capabilities on their dimensions. We concluded that, although we observed an increase in resolution for some of the spheres, practical considerations and lack of consistency in imaging makes this technique too cumbersome for practical applications.