Boston Researchers Receive Funds to Develop Nanoscale Optical Microscope

W.M. Keck Foundation has awarded a $1 million grant to researchers at Boston College to develop a new microscope called the nanoscale coaxial optical microscope (NCOM).

The microscope utilizes light guiding metamedium to produce images that show macro and microscopic matter with enhanced clarity.

The NCOM is part of a new line of microscopes called superlenses that are different from conventional optical microscopes. It utilizes new technologies to arrange image bits to produce one in its entirety or to control and reconstruct light on computers.

The nanoscale coaxial optical microscope is currently under development and depends on a set of numerous nanoscale tubes that are similar to the coaxial cable. In addition, the nanocoax design will enable the microscope to direct the light beams on sub-wavelength-sized matter including proteins or cells, and return the light to the camera.