STED microscopy

The super-resolution microscope is a new generation of microscope known as a nanoscope. STED (stimulated-emission-depletion) is one of a different super-resolution microscopy techniques that can be used together with the following:

• PALM/STORM;
• SIM;
• dynamic super-resolution technique…

Principle of the STED

In the STED (stimulated-emission-depletion) technique, part of the sample is activated by a laser and the periphery of the excited area is then switched off by stimulated emission (de-excitation of an electron). Only the centre of the excited area remains fluorescent. The use of scanning in this technique produces a set of points and therefore forms a large accurate image. Resolution is increased as far as 35 nanometres.