Abstract
We report fluorescence imaging and spectroscopy of individual molecules using far-field optics. Previously, this much information on single molecules required a near-field microscope (1,2). Here, using a tightly-focused laser beam m place of a near-field fiber probe, we observe molecules with excellent signal to background, and measure fluorescence lifetime and spectrum one molecule at a time. While near-field microscopy allows greater than twice the spatial resolution, far-field microscopy is considerably simpler, and can probe molecules located inside a surface. Signal level, background and noise are comparable with the two methods. The relative simplicity m the far-field approach should allow fast and simple chemical identification and monitoring of fluorescently-tagged biological processes.
© 1995 Optical Society of America
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