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Development of a New Microscopic Imaging Technique, “Atom Camera,” Using a Single Atom.

The Ohmori Laboratory has developed a new microscopic measurement technique called the “Atom Camera,” which uses a single ultracold atom to observe the spatial distribution of light.

In this study, a single rubidium atom trapped by optical tweezers was utilized as a scanning probe, enabling the acquisition of optical information at the nanoscale.

This technique makes it possible not only to visualize the intensity distribution of light—which has been difficult with conventional optical microscopy—but also to simultaneously map its polarization distribution. In particular, it achieves a high spatial resolution beyond the diffraction limit, reaching below 100 nanometers.

This technology enables detailed analysis of complex optical fields and provides a new tool for fundamental research in optical science. Furthermore, it is expected to find applications in advanced quantum technologies, including quantum computing and quantum information processing.

These results were published in the British scientific journal 「Nature Communications」on May 29, 2026.

【Institute for Molecular Science Press Release】

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