How Does Optical Microscopy Work in Nanotechnology?
Optical microscopes use light to illuminate the sample and lenses to magnify the image. In nanotechnology, the challenge is to resolve features that are smaller than the wavelength of visible light, typically below 200 nm. While conventional optical microscopy is limited by the diffraction limit, advanced techniques such as super-resolution microscopy overcome this barrier. Techniques like STED, PALM, and SIM enable the visualization of structures down to a few nanometers.
