Imaging the bipolarity of myosin filaments with Interferometric Second Harmonic Generation microscopy

All-optical free-space routing of upconverted light by metasurfaces via nonlinear interferometry

All-optical modulation yields the promise of high-speed information processing. In this field, metasurfaces are rapidly gaining traction as ultrathin multifunctional platforms for light management. Among the featured functionalities, they enable light-wavefront manipulation and more recently demonstrated the ability to perform light-by-light manipulation through nonlinear optical processes. Here, by employing a nonlinear periodic metasurface, we demonstrate the all-optical routing of telecom photons upconverted to the visible range. This is achieved via the interference between two frequency-degenerate upconversion processes, namely, third-harmonic and sum-frequency generation, stemming from the interaction of a pump pulse with its frequency-doubled replica. By tuning the relative phase and polarization between these two pump beams, we route the upconverted signal among the diffraction orders of the metasurface with a modulation efficiency of up to 90%. This can be achieved by concurrently engineering the nonlinear emission of the individual elements (meta-atoms) of the metasurface along with its pitch. Owing to the phase control and ultrafast dynamics of the underlying nonlinear processes, free-space all-optical routing could be potentially performed at rates close to the employed optical frequencies divided by the quality factor of the optical resonances at play. Our approach adds a further twist to optical interferometry, which is a key enabling technique employed in a wide range of applications, such as homodyne detection, radar interferometry, light detection and ranging technology, gravitational-wave detection and molecular photometry. In particular, the nonlinear character of light upconversion combined with phase sensitivity is extremely appealing for enhanced imaging and biosensing.

Second harmonic generation microscopy: a powerful tool for bio-imaging

Second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy is an important optical imaging technique in a variety of applications. This article describes the history and physical principles of SHG microscopy and its more advanced variants, as well as their strengths and weaknesses in biomedical applications. It also provides an overview of SHG and advanced SHG imaging in neuroscience and microtubule imaging and how these methods can aid in understanding microtubule formation, structuration, and involvement in neuronal function. Finally, we offer a perspective on the future of these methods and how technological advancements can help make SHG microscopy a more widely adopted imaging technique.

Second harmonic generation theory for a helical macromolecule with high sensitivity to structural disorder

Microscopic theory for the second harmonic generation in a helical molecular system is developed in the minimal coupling representation including non-local interaction effects. At the second order to the field we find a compact expression which combines dipolar, quadrupolar and magnetic contributions. A detailed derivation of the response is performed to specifically isolate the quadratic coupling terms, which we denote as the K coupling. Applying the theory to a helical macromolecule we find that the dipolar and quadrupolar contributions reflect the symmetry properties of the system and its homogeneity, while the K coupling contribution reveals inhomogeneities of the system.

Quantitative Classification of 3D Collagen Fiber Organization From Volumetric Images

Collagen fibers in biological tissues have a complex 3D organization containing rich information linked to tissue mechanical properties and are affected by mutations that lead to diseases. Quantitative assessment of this 3D collagen fiber organization could help to develop reliable biomechanical models and understand tissue structure-function relationships, which impact diagnosis and treatment of diseases or injuries. While there are advanced techniques for imaging collagen fibers, published methods for quantifying 3D collagen fiber organization have been sparse and give limited structural information which cannot distinguish a wide range of 3D organizations. In this article, we demonstrate an algorithm for quantitative classification of 3D collagen fiber organization. The algorithm first simulates five groups, or classifications, of fiber organization: unidirectional, crimped, disordered, two-fiber family, and helical. These five groups are widespread in natural tissues and are known to affect the tissue's mechanical properties. We use quantitative metrics based on features such as preferred 3D fiber orientation and spherical variance to differentiate each classification in a repeatable manner. We validate our algorithm by applying it to second-harmonic generation images of collagen fibers in tendon and cervix tissue that has been sectioned in specified orientations, and we find strong agreement between classification from simulated data and the physical fiber organization. Our approach provides insight for interpreting 3D fiber organization directly from volumetric images. This algorithm could be applied to other fiber-like structures that are not necessarily made of collagen.

Single-scan interferometric second harmonic generation microscopy using a kHz phase-scanner

In conventional laser-scanning microscopy, images are formed by acquiring the signal from pixel to pixel. Here, we report more than one order of magnitude reduction in acquisition time of Interferometric Second Harmonic Generation (I-SHG) by scanning the phase within each pixel, to characterize the relative polarity of various samples. Using an electro-optic phase-scanner, we show that the phase-shift patterns required for interferometry can be applied at each pixel during the scanning of the sample, allowing single-scan I-SHG (1S-ISHG) measurements. Requiring exposure times comparable to standard SHG intensity images, the additional phase information of the signal can thus be retrieved in parallel to its amplitude at the time-scale of seconds. Moreover, slower modulations can be used to enhance the precision of the phase measurement, without any spatial or temporal shift between interferograms, in contrast to conventional frame phase-shifting I-SHG (standard I-SHG). This continues to extend I-SHG to dynamical processes, and opens it to large-scale studies, as well as to imaging samples where the signal-to-noise ratio is an issue.

Second harmonic generation polarization microscopy as a tool for protein structure analysis

Cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography have been the major tools of protein structure analysis for decades and will certainly continue to be essential in the future. Moreover, nuclear magnetic resonance or Förster resonance energy transfer can measure structural dynamics. Here, we propose to add optical second-harmonic generation (SHG), which is a nonlinear optical scattering process sensitive to molecular structures in illuminated materials, to the tool-kit of structural analysis methodologies. SHG can be expected to probe the structural changes of proteins in the physiological condition, and thus link protein structure and biological function. We demonstrate that a conformational change as well as its dynamics in protein macromolecular assemblies can be detected by means of SHG polarization measurement. To prove the capability of SHG polarization measurement with regard to protein structure analysis, we developed an SHG polarization microscope to analyze microtubules in solution. The difference in conformation between microtubules with different binding molecules was successfully observed as polarization dependence of SHG intensity. We also succeeded in capturing the temporal variation of structure in a photo-switchable protein crystal in both activation and inactivation processes. These results illustrate the potential of this method for protein structure analysis in physiological solutions at room temperature without any labeling.

Implementation of artifact-free circular dichroism SHG imaging of collagen

Second harmonic generation (SHG) enables in situ imaging of fibrillar collagen architecture in connective tissues. Recently, Circular Dichroism SHG (CD-SHG) microscopy has been implemented to take advantage of collagen chirality to improve 3D visualization. It measures the normalized difference in the SHG signal obtained upon excitation by left versus right circular polarizations. However, CD-SHG signal is not well characterized yet, and quite different CD-SHG values are reported in the literature. Here, we identify two major artifacts that may occur in CD-SHG experiments and we demonstrate that thorough optimization and calibration of the experimental setup are required for CD-SHG imaging. Notably it requires a careful calibration of the incident circular polarizations and a perfect mechanical stabilization of the microscope stage. Finally, we successfully record CD-SHG images in human cornea sections and confirm that this technique efficiently reveals collagen fibrils oriented out of the focal plane.

Elimination of imaging artifacts in second harmonic generation microscopy using interferometry

Conventional second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy might not clearly reveal the structure of complex samples if the interference between all scatterers in the focal volume results in artefactual patterns. We report here the use of interferometric second harmonic generation (I-SHG) microscopy to efficiently remove these artifacts from SHG images. Interfaces between two regions of opposite polarity are considered because they are known to produce imaging artifacts in muscle for instance. As a model system, such interfaces are first studied in periodically-poled lithium niobate (PPLN), where an artefactual incoherent SH signal is obtained because of irregularities at the interfaces, that overshadow the sought-after coherent contribution. Using I-SHG allows to remove the incoherent part completely without any spatial filtering. Second, I-SHG is also proven to resolve the double-band pattern expected in muscle where standard SHG exhibits in some regions artefactual single-band patterns. In addition to removing the artifacts at the interfaces between antiparallel domains in both structures (PPLN and muscle), I-SHG also increases their visibility by up to a factor of 5. This demonstrates that I-SHG is a powerful technique to image biological samples at enhanced contrast while suppressing artifacts.

Rigorous modelling of second harmonic generation imaging through stratified media focused by radially polarized beams

For second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging, the specimen is often observed through an immersion medium and a cover glass whose refractive indices are usually different from that of the specimen. However, the currently used theoretical models are based on the assumption that the specimen is situated in a homogeneous medium. The limitation of these models is that they ignore the effects of the refractive index mismatches and the imaging depth. In this paper, we have demonstrated, for the first time to our knowledge, a rigorous model of SHG imaging through stratified media focused by radially polarized beams. Based on the proposed model, the detected SHG intensity patterns excited in a refractive index perfectly matched, aberration-free medium and in mismatched stratified media are compared. The effects of the imaging depth and effective numerical aperture (NA) on the performance of SHG imaging with oil immersion objectives are investigated by the stratified media model. It is found that the full width at half maximum (FWHM) in the axial direction at imaging depth of 80 µm is ~3.1 times as large as that of 10 µm imaging depth. While for the transverse FWHM, the increment is only about 23%. The quality of the SHG intensity distribution can be increased by reducing the NA appropriately at the expense of the detected signal strength. The proposed model is helpful to provide guidelines for the adaptive aberration correction in SHG imaging and can be used to optimize the experimental configuration.

Probing microtubules polarity in mitotic spindles in situ using Interferometric Second Harmonic Generation Microscopy

The polarity of microtubules is thought to be involved in spindle assembly, cytokinesis or active molecular transport. However, its exact role remains poorly understood, mainly because of the challenge to measure microtubule polarity in intact cells. We report here the use of fast Interferometric Second Harmonic Generation microscopy to study the polarity of microtubules forming the mitotic spindles in a zebrafish embryo. This technique provides a powerful tool to study mitotic spindle formation and may be directly transferable for investigating the kinetics and function of microtubule polarity in other aspects of subcellular motility or in native tissues.

The Impact of Collagen Fibril Polarity on Second Harmonic Generation Microscopy

In this work, we report the implementation of interferometric second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy with femtosecond pulses. As a proof of concept, we imaged the phase distribution of SHG signal from the complex collagen architecture of juvenile equine growth cartilage. The results are analyzed in respect to numerical simulations to extract the relative orientation of collagen fibrils within the tissue. Our results reveal large domains of constant phase together with regions of quasi-random phase, which are correlated to respectively high- and low-intensity regions in the standard SHG images. A comparison with polarization-resolved SHG highlights the crucial role of relative fibril polarity in determining the SHG signal intensity. Indeed, it appears that even a well-organized noncentrosymmetric structure emits low SHG signal intensity if it has no predominant local polarity. This work illustrates how the complex architecture of noncentrosymmetric scatterers at the nanoscale governs the coherent building of SHG signal within the focal volume and is a key advance toward a complete understanding of the structural origin of SHG signals from tissues.

Fast interferometric second harmonic generation microscopy

We report the implementation of fast Interferometric Second Harmonic Generation (I-SHG) microscopy to study the polarity of non-centrosymmetric structures in biological tissues. Using a sample quartz plate, we calibrate the spatially varying phase shift introduced by the laser scanning system. Compensating this phase shift allows us to retrieve the correct phase distribution in periodically poled lithium niobate, used as a model sample. Finally, we used fast interferometric second harmonic generation microscopy to acquire phase images in tendon. Our results show that the method exposed here, using a laser scanning system, allows to recover the polarity of collagen fibrils, similarly to standard I-SHG (using a sample scanning system), but with an imaging time about 40 times shorter.

Determination of the source of SHG verniers in zebrafish skeletal muscle

SHG microscopy is an emerging microscopic technique for medically relevant imaging because certain endogenous proteins, such as muscle myosin lattices within muscle cells, are sufficiently spatially ordered to generate detectable SHG without the use of any fluorescent dye. Given that SHG signal is sensitive to the structural state of muscle sarcomeres, SHG functional imaging can give insight into the integrity of muscle cells in vivo. Here, we report a thorough theoretical and experimental characterization of myosin-derived SHG intensity profiles within intact zebrafish skeletal muscle. We determined that “SHG vernier” patterns, regions of bifurcated SHG intensity, are illusory when sarcomeres are staggered with respect to one another. These optical artifacts arise due to the phase coherence of SHG signal generation and the Guoy phase shift of the laser at the focus. In contrast, two-photon excited fluorescence images obtained from fluorescently labeled sarcomeric components do not contain such illusory structures, regardless of the orientation of adjacent myofibers. Based on our results, we assert that complex optical artifacts such as SHG verniers should be taken into account when applying functional SHG imaging as a diagnostic readout for pathological muscle conditions.

Theoretical, numerical and experimental study of geometrical parameters that affect anisotropy measurements in polarization-resolved SHG microscopy

Polarization-resolved second harmonic generation (P-SHG) microscopy is an efficient imaging modality for in situ observation of biopolymers structure in tissues, providing information about their mean in-plane orientation and their molecular structure and 3D distribution. Nevertheless, P-SHG signal build-up in a strongly focused regime is not throroughly understood yet, preventing reliable and reproducible measurements. In this study, theoretical analysis, vectorial numerical simulations and experiments are performed to understand how geometrical parameters, such as excitation and collection numerical apertures and detection direction, affect P-SHG imaging in homogeneous collagen tissues. A good agreement is obtained in tendon and cornea, showing that detection geometry significantly affects the SHG anisotropy measurements, but not the measurements of collagen in-plane orientation.

Determination of collagen fibril size via absolute measurements of second-harmonic generation signals

The quantification of collagen fibril size is a major issue for the investigation of pathological disorders associated with structural defects of the extracellular matrix. Second-harmonic generation microscopy is a powerful technique to characterize the macromolecular organization of collagen in unstained biological tissues. Nevertheless, due to the complex coherent building of this nonlinear optical signal, it has never been used to measure fibril diameter so far. Here we report absolute measurements of second-harmonic signals from isolated fibrils down to 30 nm diameter, via implementation of correlative second-harmonic-electron microscopy. Moreover, using analytical and numerical calculations, we demonstrate that the high sensitivity of this technique originates from the parallel alignment of collagen triple helices within fibrils and the subsequent constructive interferences of second-harmonic radiations. Finally, we use these absolute measurements as a calibration for ex vivo quantification of fibril diameter in the Descemet's membrane of a diabetic rat cornea.

Myofibrillar misalignment correlated to triad disappearance of mdx mouse gastrocnemius muscle probed by SHG microscopy

We show that the canonical single frequency sarcomeric SHG intensity pattern (SHG-IP) of control muscles is converted to double frequency sarcomeric SHG-IP in preserved mdx mouse gastrocnemius muscles in the vicinity of necrotic fibers. These double frequency sarcomeric SHG-IPs are often spatially correlated to double frequency sarcomeric two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF) emitted from Z-line and I-bands and to one centered spot SHG angular intensity pattern (SHG-AIP) suggesting that these patterns are signature of myofibrillar misalignement. This latter is confirmed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Moreover, a good spatial correlation between SHG signature of myofibrillar misalignment and triad reduction is established. Theoretical simulation of sarcomeric SHG-IP is used to demonstrate the correlation between change of SHG-IP and -AIP and myofibrillar misalignment. The extreme sensitivity of SHG microscopy to reveal the submicrometric organization of A-band thick filaments is highlighted. This report is a first step toward future studies aimed at establishing live SHG signature of myofibrillar misalignment involving excitation contraction defects due to muscle damage and disease.

Introduction to the Novel Techniques in Microscopy feature issue

The editors introduce the feature issue on "Novel Techniques in Microscopy", which was the topic of a symposium held on April 14-18, 2013, in Waikoloa Beach, HI. This symposium was part of the Optics in the Life Sciences Congress.