Cover Story： Chen L W, Zhou Y, Wu M X, Hong M H. Remote-mode microsphere nano-imaging: new boundaries for optical microscopes. Opto-Electron Adv 1, 170001 (2018). 

Prof Hong’s team from National University of Singapore proposed the new design for the optics in the microscope, which provides a solution to break the theoretical limitation for optical imaging. Their design utilizes the focusing effect of the particle lens in nano-scale. It visualizes comparable feature sizes by pure optical means, without disturbing the samples, and at the same time, to keep the design simple and cost effective. Enlightened by the sharp focusing of transparent microsphere in laser illuminated lithography and the idea of the reversible nature of light, the team proposed the microsphere magnification design. Such elegant and effective design only requires small changes to conventional white light microscope and achieves a super-resolution, which presents a cost-efficient and universal approach to upgrade the normal microscope to provide up to 10 times better resolution. The breakthrough would lead to impact by enabling us to examine nature from micro-world down to nano-world at a fast speed and in ambient natural conditions.