Nanoscale resolution for fluorescence microscopy via adiabatic passage

We propose the use of the subwavelength localization via adiabatic passage technique for fluorescence microscopy with nanoscale resolution in the far field. This technique uses a A-type medium coherently coupled to two laser pulses: the pump, with a node in its spatial profile, and the Stokes. The population of the A system is adiabatically transferred from one ground state to the other except at the node position, yielding a narrow population peak. This coherent localization allows fluorescence imaging with nanometer lateral resolution. We derive an analytical expression to asses the resolution and perform a comparison with the coherent population trapping and the stimulated-emission-depletion techniques. © 2013 Optical Society of America.