Imaging interferometric microscopy (IIM) is a synthetic aperture approach offering the potential of optical resolution to the linear systems limit of optics (~lambda/4n). IIM allows one to resolve structures not accessible in a conventional illumination setup, while using a low NA microscope objective and thus keeping the large working distance, depth of focus and field of view associated with the lower NA. The goal of this dissertation is to reach ultimate resolution limits of non-fluorescent microscopy by using IIM in new optical configurations realizing a solid immersion technique with immersion materials employed in advanced regimes unsuitable in other systems. The immersion advantages of IIM can be realized if the object is in close proximity to a solid-immersion medium. Illumination through the substrate involves photons propagating at angles beyond total internal reflection, collection of high frequencies, and decoupling this radiation by a grating on the medium surface opposite to the object. The spatial resolution as a function of the medium thickness and refractive index as well as the field-of-view of the optical system is derived and applied to simulations. Structural illumination technique allows aliasing high spatial frequency into the low frequency range and using conventional microscopes at high resolution. This technique may be useful for broad swath of technical applications, biological and medical research
