Influence of the local scattering environment on the localization precision of single particles

Abstract

We study the fundamental limit on the localization precision for a subwavelength scatterer embedded in a strongly scattering environment, using the external degrees of freedom provided by wavefront shaping. For a weakly scattering target, the localization precision improves with the value of the local density of states at the target position. For a strongly scattering target, the localization precision depends on the dressed polarizability that includes the back action of the environment. This numerical study provides new insights for the control of the information content of scattered light by wavefront shaping, with potential applications in sensing, imaging, and nanoscale engineering.