Submicroscopic contact imaging with visible light by energy transfer

The resolution of contact imaging with light is limited by the distance between object and image and not by the wavelength. Contact imaging with visible light at submicroscopic resolution (100 nm) is demonstrated using the concept of imaging by energy transfer. The bleaching of a dye is inhibited by energy transfer to a metal in close proximity. This mechanism is exploited for imaging a planar metal pattern onto a film of a cyanine dye.