New Technology Improves Resolution of Ordinary Light Microscope Written by AZoOpticsJun 1 2021 Electrical engineers from the University of California San Diego have now designed a novel technology that enhances the resolution of a normal light microscope so that it can be utilized to directly visualize the intricate details and structures in living cells. This light-shrinking material turns a conventional light microscope into a super-resolution microscope. Image Credit: Junxiang Zhao. The new technology changes a traditional light microscope into a so-called super-resolution microscope. It involves a uniquely designed material that reduces the wavelength of light as it lights up the specimen—this reduced light is what truly allows the microscope to image in higher resolution.