Multicolor single-molecule imaging by spectral point-spread-function engineering (Conference Presentation)

We extend the information content of the microscope’s point-spread-function (PSF) by adding a new degree of freedom: spectral information. We demonstrate controllable encoding of a microscopic emitter’s spectral information (color) and 3D position in the shape of the microscope’s PSF. The design scheme works by exploiting the chromatic dispersion of an optical element placed in the optical path. By using numerical optimization we design a single physical pattern that yields different desired phase delay patterns for different wavelengths. To demonstrate the method’s applicability experimentally, we apply it to super-resolution imaging and to multiple particle tracking.