Time-encoded structured illumination microscopy: toward ultrafast superresolution imaging.

An imaging strategy based on optical time-encoded structured illumination microscopy (TE-SIM) opens the way toward ultrafast superresolution imaging. A proof-of-principle experiment is conducted and the introduced TE-SIM accelerates the generation rate of sinusoidal fringe patterns to an unprecedented speed (dozens of megahertz). At such a high speed, superresolution imaging that surpasses the diffraction limit by a factor of 1.4 is demonstrated. This imaging strategy with high temporal and spatial resolution has great potential in many exciting applications, such as dynamic live cell imaging or high-throughput screening.