Mirror SELFI tracks the position of nanoparticles by generating self-interference patterns

Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney (Australia) have demonstrated the self-interference of fluorescent nanoparticles when placed on top of a mirror, altering images as each nanoparticle interferes with its own mirror image. Published in Nature Communications, the resulting images were a series of far-field point spread functions such as Gaussian, doughnut and archery target shapes, which are dependent on the phase difference between the emitter and its image. The researchers were then able to use this information to pinpoint the positions of the nanoparticles with a high degree of accuracy. "When we look in a mirror it doesn't change...