Objective
We propose to build an optical microscope that will use novel quantum optical concepts in order to break the Rayleigh-Abbe resolution limits of standard optical microscopy. Optical microscopy is still the workhorse of biological and medical research, allowing researchers direct visible view of the microscopic world, and any improvement in the field could have significant impact. Several innovative techniques have been demonstrated in recent years to achieve super resolution, most relate to fluorescence microscopy and requires highly nonlinear excitations and/or novel fluorescence probes, and therefore have more specific applications.
Our goal is to demonstrate a general-purpose machine, that is, a microscope that should be able to inspect general transparent or fluorescent objects, in particular biological and medical specimens, and will include several observation modalities. The high-resolution capabilities of the microscope will come from the application of novel photon-number resolving detectors and non-classical light sources. Our strategy is to build this microscope around a standard laser scanning microscope concept, yet we will achieve sub-diffraction imaging by resolving features within the classical diffraction limited spot of the scanning beam. Fast photon-number resolving detectors will record spatial and temporal distributions of photons at the image plane, enabling quantum correlations for enhanced resolution. We will consider several forms of illuminations both classical and quantum light and several microscope modalities, including fluorescence, dark field and differential interference contrast microscopy. We shall also investigate methods to combine quantum microscopy with nonlinear microscopy for further enhancement of resolution. Beyond its immediate goals, this research program will help to determine weather the more novel ideas of quantum metrology are indeed relevant for practical microscopy.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences physical sciences optics microscopy
- natural sciences physical sciences optics laser physics
- natural sciences physical sciences theoretical physics particle physics photons
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
ERC-2010-AdG_20100224
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Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Host institution
7610001 Rehovot
Israel
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.