Material-based three-dimensional imaging with nanostructured surfaces

Visualizing three-dimensional (3D) structures at the micrometer and nanometer scale is essential not only for characterizing materials and corrosion but also biological samples. Here, we present a material-based nano-optical method using the near-field properties of periodically nanostructured surfaces (photonic crystal slabs) to obtain 3D images. The wavelength and the quality factor of resonances in the transmission spectrum provide optical thickness information of objects on the surface, which we use for rapid topography determination of cells.