Super resolution methodology based on temperature dependent Raman scattering

The recent advances in far-field super-resolution (SR) microscopy rely on, and therefore are limited by the ability to control the fluorescence of label molecules. We suggest a new, label-free, far-field SR microscopy based on temperature dependence of Raman scattering. Here, we present simulation and experimental characterization of the method. In an ultrafast pump-probe scheme, a spatial temperature profile is optically excited throughout the diffraction-limited spot; the Raman spectrum is probed with an overlapping laser. Thermally induced shifts, recorded in a specific spectral region of interest (ROI), enable spatial discrimination between areas of different temperature. Our simulations show spatial resolution that surpasses the diffraction limit by more than a factor of 2. Our method is compatible with material characterization in ambient, vacuum and liquid, thin and thick samples alike.