Improvement of optical resolution in far-field imaging by optical multiplication

Based on the idea of the complex filters suggested by Toraldo di Francia in 1952, super-resolved imaging has been achieved by using interferometric image multiplication. The question of whether super-resolution implies a limited field of view is discussed, and an analytical criterion to decide this question is obtained. Three different imaging configurations are investigated, all of which gave a spatial resolution exceeding that corresponding to the full open aperture of the optical system. A resolution limit 55% of the Rayleigh limit was achieved for incoherently illuminated objects. One price that must be paid for the super-resolution is inefficient use of the light source. A second price is a limitation to the usable field of view. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.