Subnanoscale resolution for microscopy via coherent population trapping

We present a coherent-population-trapping-based scheme to attain subnanoscale resolution for microscopy. We use three-level atoms coupled to an amplitude modulated probe field and a spatially dependent (standing-wave or Laguerre-Gaussian) coupling field. The probe field modulation allows us to tap into the steep dispersion normally associated with electromagnetically induced transparency and offers subnanometer resolution using optical fields. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America