Abbe diffraction limit

E672914

diffraction limit optical principle resolution criterion

The Abbe diffraction limit is a fundamental principle in optics that defines the smallest detail that can be resolved by an imaging system due to the wave nature of light, setting a lower bound on achievable resolution.

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All labels observed (2)

Label	Occurrences
Abbe diffraction limit canonical	2
Abbe principle of image formation	1

Statements (49)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	diffraction limit ⓘ optical principle ⓘ resolution criterion ⓘ
appliesTo	bright-field microscopy ⓘ coherent imaging systems ⓘ confocal microscopy ⓘ fluorescence microscopy ⓘ imaging lenses ⓘ incoherent imaging systems ⓘ optical microscopes ⓘ telescopes ⓘ
assumes	diffraction-limited optics ⓘ far-field imaging conditions ⓘ linear shift-invariant imaging system ⓘ no aberrations ⓘ
basedOn	diffraction ⓘ wave nature of light ⓘ
category	optical resolution theory ⓘ physical limit ⓘ
challengedBy	PALM microscopy NERFINISHED ⓘ SIM microscopy ⓘ STED microscopy NERFINISHED ⓘ STORM microscopy NERFINISHED ⓘ near-field scanning optical microscopy NERFINISHED ⓘ
concerns	ability to distinguish closely spaced structures ⓘ lateral resolution ⓘ
consequence	features smaller than the limit cannot be resolved as separate ⓘ
defines	minimum resolvable feature size in an imaging system ⓘ
expressedAs	d = λ / (2 NA) for incoherent imaging ⓘ d = λ / NA for coherent imaging ⓘ
field	imaging science ⓘ microscopy ⓘ optics ⓘ
historicalContext	formulated in the 19th century ⓘ
implies	finite spatial resolution for optical systems ⓘ
involves	cutoff spatial frequency determined by numerical aperture ⓘ diffraction at the aperture of the objective lens ⓘ
motivated	development of super-resolution microscopy ⓘ
namedAfter	Ernst Abbe NERFINISHED ⓘ
relatesTo	Rayleigh criterion NERFINISHED ⓘ numerical aperture ⓘ optical transfer function ⓘ point spread function ⓘ spatial frequency ⓘ wavelength of light ⓘ
sets	lower bound on achievable resolution ⓘ
usedIn	design of optical microscopes ⓘ evaluation of imaging system performance ⓘ resolution calculations ⓘ

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Rayleigh criterion → comparedWith → Abbe diffraction limit ⓘ

Ernst Abbe → notableWork → Abbe diffraction limit ⓘ

Ernst Abbe → notableIdea → Abbe diffraction limit ⓘ

this entity surface form: Abbe principle of image formation