Random Structured Plasmonic Near-Field Illumination for Enhanced Surface Imaging

Plasmonic illumination imaging techniques have significantly advanced super-resolution imaging by manipulating near-field patterns. However, these methods often require multiple images and are hindered by non-uniform illumination, limiting the potential for real-time applications. In this study, we demonstrate that randomly generated near-field illumination can achieve high resolution and fast image processing compared to conventional uniform near-field generation. Using finite-difference time-domain simulations with silver nanopost arrays and gold nanoislands, we compared the performance under both azimuthal and random illumination conditions. Our findings reveal that random near-field patterns enable super-resolution imaging with fewer images, offering a simpler, more cost-effective approach for real-time applications. Integrating this method into existing optical systems presents a practical and affordable solution for biomedical research.