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Han M, Smith D, Kahro T, Stonytė D, Kasikov A, Gailevičius D, Tiwari V, Ignatius Xavier AP, Gopinath S, Ng SH, John Francis Rajeswary AS, Tamm A, Kukli K, Bambery K, Vongsvivut J, Juodkazis S, Anand V. Extending the Depth of Focus of an Infrared Microscope Using a Binary Axicon Fabricated on Barium Fluoride. MICROMACHINES 2024; 15:537. [PMID: 38675348 PMCID: PMC11052387 DOI: 10.3390/mi15040537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Axial resolution is one of the most important characteristics of a microscope. In all microscopes, a high axial resolution is desired in order to discriminate information efficiently along the longitudinal direction. However, when studying thick samples that do not contain laterally overlapping information, a low axial resolution is desirable, as information from multiple planes can be recorded simultaneously from a single camera shot instead of plane-by-plane mechanical refocusing. In this study, we increased the focal depth of an infrared microscope non-invasively by introducing a binary axicon fabricated on a barium fluoride substrate close to the sample. Preliminary results of imaging the thick and sparse silk fibers showed an improved focal depth with a slight decrease in lateral resolution and an increase in background noise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molong Han
- Optical Sciences Centre and ARC Training Centre in Surface Engineering for Advanced Materials (SEAM), School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia; (M.H.); (D.S.); (S.H.N.); (S.J.)
| | - Daniel Smith
- Optical Sciences Centre and ARC Training Centre in Surface Engineering for Advanced Materials (SEAM), School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia; (M.H.); (D.S.); (S.H.N.); (S.J.)
| | - Tauno Kahro
- Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; (T.K.); (A.K.); (V.T.); (A.P.I.X.); (S.G.); (A.S.J.F.R.); (A.T.); (K.K.)
| | - Dominyka Stonytė
- Laser Research Center, Physics Faculty, Vilnius University, Sauletekio Ave. 10, 10223 Vilnius, Lithuania; (D.S.); (D.G.)
| | - Aarne Kasikov
- Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; (T.K.); (A.K.); (V.T.); (A.P.I.X.); (S.G.); (A.S.J.F.R.); (A.T.); (K.K.)
| | - Darius Gailevičius
- Laser Research Center, Physics Faculty, Vilnius University, Sauletekio Ave. 10, 10223 Vilnius, Lithuania; (D.S.); (D.G.)
| | - Vipin Tiwari
- Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; (T.K.); (A.K.); (V.T.); (A.P.I.X.); (S.G.); (A.S.J.F.R.); (A.T.); (K.K.)
| | - Agnes Pristy Ignatius Xavier
- Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; (T.K.); (A.K.); (V.T.); (A.P.I.X.); (S.G.); (A.S.J.F.R.); (A.T.); (K.K.)
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, P.O. Box 653, Beer-Sheva 8410501, Israel
| | - Shivasubramanian Gopinath
- Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; (T.K.); (A.K.); (V.T.); (A.P.I.X.); (S.G.); (A.S.J.F.R.); (A.T.); (K.K.)
| | - Soon Hock Ng
- Optical Sciences Centre and ARC Training Centre in Surface Engineering for Advanced Materials (SEAM), School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia; (M.H.); (D.S.); (S.H.N.); (S.J.)
| | | | - Aile Tamm
- Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; (T.K.); (A.K.); (V.T.); (A.P.I.X.); (S.G.); (A.S.J.F.R.); (A.T.); (K.K.)
| | - Kaupo Kukli
- Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; (T.K.); (A.K.); (V.T.); (A.P.I.X.); (S.G.); (A.S.J.F.R.); (A.T.); (K.K.)
| | - Keith Bambery
- Infrared Microspectroscopy (IRM) Beamline, ANSTO—Australian Synchrotron, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia (J.V.)
| | - Jitraporn Vongsvivut
- Infrared Microspectroscopy (IRM) Beamline, ANSTO—Australian Synchrotron, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia (J.V.)
| | - Saulius Juodkazis
- Optical Sciences Centre and ARC Training Centre in Surface Engineering for Advanced Materials (SEAM), School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia; (M.H.); (D.S.); (S.H.N.); (S.J.)
- Tokyo Tech World Research Hub Initiative (WRHI), School of Materials and Chemical Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Vijayakumar Anand
- Optical Sciences Centre and ARC Training Centre in Surface Engineering for Advanced Materials (SEAM), School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia; (M.H.); (D.S.); (S.H.N.); (S.J.)
- Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; (T.K.); (A.K.); (V.T.); (A.P.I.X.); (S.G.); (A.S.J.F.R.); (A.T.); (K.K.)
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2
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Hsu CJ, Antony M, Huang CY. Laser beam homogenization based on a multifocal liquid crystal microlens array. OPTICS LETTERS 2024; 49:670-673. [PMID: 38300086 DOI: 10.1364/ol.509937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
A novel, to the best of our knowledge, tunable multifocal liquid crystal microlens array (TMLCMA) was fabricated with a triple-electrode structure consisting of a large-hole, a small-hole array, and planar electrodes. The electro-optical performances of the TMLCMA are characterized, demonstrating the monofocal convex, multifocal convex, and multifocal concave functions when the TMLCMA is manipulated with various driving schemes. Furthermore, the homogenization of a laser beam is realized using the fabricated TMLCMA. The multifocal convex and multifocal concave functions of the TMLCMA successfully suppress the lattice phenomenon caused by the monofocal microlens array, homogenize the Gaussian beam to a flattop intensity distribution, and broaden the beam size.
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3
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Fan Z, Kuai Y, Tang X, Zhang Y, Zhang D. Chip-based wide field-of-view total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. OPTICS LETTERS 2022; 47:4303-4306. [PMID: 36048639 DOI: 10.1364/ol.460496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Conventional total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy requires either an oil-immersed objective with high numerical aperture or a bulky prism with high refractive index to generate the evanescent waves that work as the illumination source for fluorophores. Precise alignment of the optical path is necessary for optimizing the imaging performance of TIRF microscopy, which increases the operation complexity. In this Letter, a planar photonic chip composed of a dielectric multilayer and a scattering layer is proposed to replace the TIRF objective or the prism. The uniform evanescent waves can be excited under uncollimated incidence through this chip, which simplifies the alignment of the optical configurations and provides shadowless illumination. Due to the separation of the illumination and detection light paths, TIRF microscopy can have a large field-of-view (FOV).
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4
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Mau A, Friedl K, Leterrier C, Bourg N, Lévêque-Fort S. Fast widefield scan provides tunable and uniform illumination optimizing super-resolution microscopy on large fields. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3077. [PMID: 34031402 PMCID: PMC8144377 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23405-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-uniform illumination limits quantitative analyses of fluorescence imaging techniques. In particular, single molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) relies on high irradiances, but conventional Gaussian-shaped laser illumination restricts the usable field of view to around 40 µm × 40 µm. We present Adaptable Scanning for Tunable Excitation Regions (ASTER), a versatile illumination technique that generates uniform and adaptable illumination. ASTER is also highly compatible with optical sectioning techniques such as total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF). For SMLM, ASTER delivers homogeneous blinking kinetics at reasonable laser power over fields-of-view up to 200 µm × 200 µm. We demonstrate that ASTER improves clustering analysis and nanoscopic size measurements by imaging nanorulers, microtubules and clathrin-coated pits in COS-7 cells, and β2-spectrin in neurons. ASTER's sharp and quantitative illumination paves the way for high-throughput quantification of biological structures and processes in classical and super-resolution fluorescence microscopies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien Mau
- Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d'Orsay, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Orsay, France
- Abbelight, Cachan, France
| | - Karoline Friedl
- Abbelight, Cachan, France
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, INP UMR7051, NeuroCyto, Marseille, France
| | | | | | - Sandrine Lévêque-Fort
- Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d'Orsay, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Orsay, France.
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Premadasa UI, Bible AN, Morrell-Falvey JL, Doughty B, Ma YZ. Spatially co-registered wide-field nonlinear optical imaging of living and complex biosystems in a total internal reflection geometry. Analyst 2021; 146:3062-3072. [PMID: 33949432 DOI: 10.1039/d1an00129a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Nonlinear optical microscopy that leverages an objective based total internal reflection (TIR) excitation scheme is an attractive means for rapid, wide-field imaging with enhanced surface sensitivity. Through select combinations of distinct modalities, one can, in principle, access complementary chemical and structural information for various chemical species near interfaces. Here, we report a successful implementation of such a wide-field nonlinear optical microscope system, which combines coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS), two-photon fluorescence (TPF), second harmonic generation (SHG), and sum frequency generation (SFG) modalities on the same platform. The intense optical fields needed to drive these high order nonlinear optical processes are achieved through the use of femtosecond pulsed light in combination with the intrinsic field confinement induced by TIR over a large field of view. The performance of our multimodal microscope was first assessed through the experimental determination of its chemical fidelity, intensity and polarization dependences, and spatial resolution using a set of well-defined model systems. Subsequently, its unique capabilities were validated through imaging complex biological systems, including Hydrangea quercifolia pollen grains and Pantoea sp. YR343 bacterial cells. Specifically, the spatial distribution of different molecular groups in the former was visualized via vibrational contrast mechanisms of CARS, whereas co-registered TPF imaging allowed the identification of spatially localized intrinsic fluorophores. We further demonstrate the feasibility of our microscope for wide-field CARS imaging on live cells through independent characterization of cell viability using spatially co-registered TPF imaging. This approach to TIR enabled wide-field imaging is expected to provide new insights into bacterial strains and their interactions with other species in the rhizosphere in a time-resolved and chemically selective manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uvinduni I Premadasa
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA.
| | - Amber N Bible
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA
| | | | - Benjamin Doughty
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA.
| | - Ying-Zhong Ma
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, USA.
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6
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Croop B, Tang J, Han KY. Single-shot, shadowless total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy via annular fiber bundle. OPTICS LETTERS 2020; 45:6470-6473. [PMID: 33258839 PMCID: PMC8323474 DOI: 10.1364/ol.411296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate a method of generating instantaneous and uniform total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) excitation by using an annular fiber bundle and spatially incoherent light sources. We show the flexibility of our method in that it can generate TIRF excitation with either a laser light source or an LED of different wavelengths, and facilitate switching between TIRF and epi illumination. In this report we detail the design of the fiber bundle, then demonstrate the performance via single-molecule imaging in the presence of high background and high throughput, and uniform TIRF imaging of cells over a large field of view. Our versatile method will enable quantitative shadowless TIRF imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Croop
- CREOL, The College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816 USA
| | - Jialei Tang
- CREOL, The College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816 USA
| | - Kyu Young Han
- CREOL, The College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816 USA
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7
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Gorelick S, Paganin DM, Korneev D, de Marco A. Hybrid refractive-diffractive axicons for Bessel-beam multiplexing and resolution improvement. OPTICS EXPRESS 2020; 28:12174-12188. [PMID: 32403716 DOI: 10.1364/oe.391662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Optical elements rely on refraction, diffraction, or reflection for light manipulation. Fusing diffractive and refractive functions in a single element provides an extra layer of control over the wave propagation, allowing complex beam shaping through self-aligned, monolithic and miniaturized optics. Using gray-scale lithography with high-current focused Xe ion-beams, we realized hybrid refractive-diffractive micro-axicons that feature diffractive gratings engraved on their conical surfaces. Furthermore, we fabricated these devices in lithium niobate, which is a challenging piezo/optoelectronic material for processing with an as-yet unexploited potential in optical applications. The curvilinear surfaces of fabricated micro-axicons with a 230-µm diameter were engraved with diffraction linear and circular gratings of various depths (<400 nm), and the optical performance of these components was characterized, showing excellent agreement with theoretical expectations. The fusing of diffractive elements with carrier refractive surfaces introduces additional or enhanced device functionalities, such as beam multiplexing and resolution improvement. The potential applications of such monolithic and miniaturized hybrid micro-optical components include beamshaping for fluorescence microscopy.
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8
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Liu W, Kuang C, Yuan Y, Zhang Z, Chen Y, Han Y, Xu L, Zhang M, Zhang YH, Xu Y, Liu X. Simultaneous Two-Angle Axial Ratiometry for Fast Live and Long-Term Three-Dimensional Super-Resolution Fluorescence Imaging. J Phys Chem Lett 2019; 10:7811-7816. [PMID: 31804831 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b03093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The application of optical microscopy in four-dimensional (spatial and temporal) super-resolution imaging poses challenges because of the requirement of a long acquisition time or high illumination intensity. In this paper, we introduce simultaneous two-angle axial ratiometry (STARII) for <20 nm axial super-resolution imaging and for fast and long-term imaging of live cells up to hundreds of frames per second. This method involves recording two raw images in two incident angle channels in the context of evanescent wave illumination and obtaining the corresponding intensity ratio. Furthermore, we demonstrate the combination of STARII with the lateral super-resolution method to resolve three-dimensional nanoscale structures of microtubules and to visualize the long-term dynamical plasma membrane curvature and fast remodeling of endoplasmic reticulum tubule meshwork and three-way junctions. These demonstrations indicate an important potential application of STARII in investigating nanoscale cellular complex processes in the native state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjie Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering , Zhejiang University , Hangzhou , Zhejiang 310027 , China
| | - Cuifang Kuang
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering , Zhejiang University , Hangzhou , Zhejiang 310027 , China
- Ningbo Research Institute , Zhejiang University , Ningbo , Zhejiang 315100 , China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics , Shanxi University , Taiyuan , Shanxi 030006 , China
| | - Yifan Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering , Zhejiang University , Hangzhou , Zhejiang 310027 , China
| | - Zhimin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering , Zhejiang University , Hangzhou , Zhejiang 310027 , China
| | - Youhua Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering , Zhejiang University , Hangzhou , Zhejiang 310027 , China
- Shanxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Biomedical Imaging and Big Data , North University of China , Taiyuan , Shanxi 030051 , China
| | - Yubing Han
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering , Zhejiang University , Hangzhou , Zhejiang 310027 , China
| | - Liang Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering , Zhejiang University , Hangzhou , Zhejiang 310027 , China
| | - Meng Zhang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics , Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan , Hubei 430074 , China
| | - Yu-Hui Zhang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics , Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan , Hubei 430074 , China
| | - Yingke Xu
- Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering , Zhejiang University , Hangzhou 310027 , China
| | - Xu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Modern Optical Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering , Zhejiang University , Hangzhou , Zhejiang 310027 , China
- Ningbo Research Institute , Zhejiang University , Ningbo , Zhejiang 315100 , China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics , Shanxi University , Taiyuan , Shanxi 030006 , China
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9
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Kogel A, Kalwa H, Urban N, Schaefer M. Artifact-free objective-type multicolor total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy with light-emitting diode light sources-Part I. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2019; 12:e201900033. [PMID: 31148410 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.201900033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Revised: 04/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Total internal reflection fluorescence excitation (TIRF) microscopy allows the selective observation of fluorescent molecules in immediate proximity to an interface between different refractive indices. Objective-type or prism-less TIRF excitation is typically achieved with laser light sources. We here propose a simple, yet optically advantageous light-emitting diode (LED)-based implementation of objective-type TIRF (LED-TIRF). The proposed LED-TIRF condenser is affordable and easy to set up at any epifluorescence microscope to perform multicolor TIRF and/or combined TIRF-epifluorescence imaging with even illumination of the entire field of view. Electrical control of LED light sources replaces mechanical shutters or optical modulators. LED-TIRF microscopy eliminates safety burdens that are associated with laser sources, offers favorable instrument lifetime and stability without active cooling. The non-coherent light source and the type of projection eliminate interference fringing and local scattering artifacts that are associated with conventional laser-TIRF. Unlike azimuthal spinning laser-TIRF, LED-TIRF does not require synchronization between beam rotation and the camera and can be monitored with either global or rolling shutter cameras. Typical implementations, such as live cell multicolor imaging in TIRF and epifluorescence of imaging of short-lived, localized translocation events of a Ca2+ -sensitive protein kinase C α fusion protein are demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Kogel
- Rudolf-Boehm-Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hermann Kalwa
- Rudolf-Boehm-Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nicole Urban
- Rudolf-Boehm-Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Michael Schaefer
- Rudolf-Boehm-Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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10
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Detecting the Extremely Small Angle of an Axicon by Phase-Shifting Digital Holography. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/app9193959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Axicon is an optical element that can be used to produce high-quality Bessel beams efficiently. In general, the smaller the base angle of the axicon is, the longer the diffraction-free distance of the generated Bessel beam will be. Therefore, axicon with an extremely small base angle is important for the generation of Bessel beam. However, the measurement of an extremely small base angle is a challenge. Here, we applied the phase-shifting digital holography in the measurement of axicon angle. The errors of the three measured axicons with base angles of 0.5°, 1°, and 1° were 1.94%, 4.43%, and 1.63%, respectively.
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11
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Liu B, Hobson CM, Pimenta FM, Nelsen E, Hsiao J, O'Brien T, Falvo MR, Hahn KM, Superfine R. VIEW-MOD: a versatile illumination engine with a modular optical design for fluorescence microscopy. OPTICS EXPRESS 2019; 27:19950-19972. [PMID: 31503749 DOI: 10.1364/oe.27.019950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
We developed VIEW-MOD (Versatile Illumination Engine with a Modular Optical Design): a compact, multi-modality microscope, which accommodates multiple illumination schemes including variable angle total internal reflection, point scanning and vertical/horizontal light sheet. This system allows combining and flexibly switching between different illuminations and imaging modes by employing three electrically tunable lenses and two fast-steering mirrors. This versatile optics design provides control of 6 degrees of freedom of the illumination source (3 translation, 2 tilt, and beam shape) plus the axial position of the imaging plane. We also developed standalone software with an easy-to-use GUI to calibrate and control the microscope. We demonstrate the applications of this system and software in biosensor imaging, optogenetics and fast 3D volume imaging. This system is ready to fit into complex imaging circumstances requiring precise control of illumination and detection paths, and has a broad scope of usability for a myriad of biological applications.
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12
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El Arawi D, Cardoso Dos Santos M, Vézy C, Jaffiol R. Incidence angle calibration for prismless total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. OPTICS LETTERS 2019; 44:1710-1713. [PMID: 30933128 DOI: 10.1364/ol.44.001710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We propose a calibration routine useful to evaluate the incident angle in total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy. This procedure is based on critical angle measurements conducted in the back focal plane (BFP) of the objective. Such BFP imaging can be easily implemented on any TIRF setup, making this technique very attractive. Calibration exactitude was demonstrated by comparing the theoretical angular dependence of the electric field intensity |E|2 at glass/water interface to experimental observations.
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13
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Jeng CC, Wang YC, Chen YY, Chen SY. Integration of crescent laser beams into dark-field microscopes for enhancing the Raman characterization of micro/nano particles. OPTICS LETTERS 2019; 44:1027-1030. [PMID: 30768047 DOI: 10.1364/ol.44.001027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Dark-field microscopy is widely used to image micro/nano particles or characterize their optical response (scattering spectrum). If laser excitation is incorporated into the microscope, the microscope can further probe chemical (molecular) properties of these objects through Raman scattering. However, when the size of the particles is comparable to or smaller than the characteristic sizes of the laser beam, the conventional setup using on-axis excitation usually suffers from undesired background signals produced by illuminated substrates below the target particles. Therefore, a crescent laser beam possessing a stable shape along the propagation direction is generated by a pair of shifted axicons and then integrated into a dark-field microscope for large oblique angle (i.e., off-axis) excitation. Under this excitation setup, the contrast between Raman and background fluorescence spectra is enhanced by a factor of 4 for a 1 μm polystyrene particle sitting on a glass slide, compared to the conventional excitation configuration. This off-axis excitation based on the crescent beam integrates dark-field imaging with Raman spectroscopy and improves Raman characterization of micro/nano particles.
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14
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Heil HS, Schreiber B, Götz R, Emmerling M, Dabauvalle MC, Krohne G, Höfling S, Kamp M, Sauer M, Heinze KG. Sharpening emitter localization in front of a tuned mirror. LIGHT, SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS 2018; 7:99. [PMID: 30534368 PMCID: PMC6279778 DOI: 10.1038/s41377-018-0104-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) aims for maximized precision and a high signal-to-noise ratio1. Both features can be provided by placing the emitter in front of a metal-dielectric nanocoating that acts as a tuned mirror2-4. Here, we demonstrate that a higher photon yield at a lower background on biocompatible metal-dielectric nanocoatings substantially improves SMLM performance and increases the localization precision by up to a factor of two. The resolution improvement relies solely on easy-to-fabricate nanocoatings on standard glass coverslips and is spectrally and spatially tunable by the layer design and wavelength, as experimentally demonstrated for dual-color SMLM in cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah S. Heil
- Rudolf Virchow Center, Research Center for Experimental Biomedicine, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Str.2, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Benjamin Schreiber
- Rudolf Virchow Center, Research Center for Experimental Biomedicine, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Str.2, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ralph Götz
- Department of Biotechnology and Biophysics, Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Monika Emmerling
- Technische Physik, Physikalisches Institut and Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen-Center for Complex Material Systems, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marie-Christine Dabauvalle
- Division of Electron Microscopy, Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Georg Krohne
- Division of Electron Microscopy, Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sven Höfling
- Technische Physik, Physikalisches Institut and Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen-Center for Complex Material Systems, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9SS UK
| | - Martin Kamp
- Technische Physik, Physikalisches Institut and Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen-Center for Complex Material Systems, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Markus Sauer
- Department of Biotechnology and Biophysics, Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Katrin G. Heinze
- Rudolf Virchow Center, Research Center for Experimental Biomedicine, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Str.2, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
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Liu J, Kong C, Li Q, Zhao W, Li M, Gao S, Liu C, Tan J. Artifact-free, penetration-adjustable elliptical-mirror-based TIRF microscopy. OPTICS EXPRESS 2018; 26:26065-26079. [PMID: 30469699 DOI: 10.1364/oe.26.026065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Evanescent field distribution in the focal region of the elliptical-mirror-based total-internal-reflection fluorescence (e-TIRF) microscopy is analyzed based on vectorial diffraction theory. The simulation demonstrates that the intensity of an evanescent field generated by elliptical mirror decreases exponentially with the penetration depth, and the polarization characteristic of the evanescent wave in various directions is given. We build up an e-TIRF microscope utilizing a focused hollow-cone illumination with all-direction and large range of incidence. The experiment shows the artifact effect can be well suppressed by using the azimuthal-direction illumination method. In addition, the penetration depth of the evanescent field can be controlled by adjusting the sizes of the aperture and obstruction with a large range.
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16
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Schreiber B, Heil HS, Kamp M, Heinze KG. Live-cell fluorescence imaging with extreme background suppression by plasmonic nanocoatings. OPTICS EXPRESS 2018; 26:21301-21313. [PMID: 30119432 DOI: 10.1364/oe.26.021301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Fluorescence microscopy allows specific and selective imaging of biological samples. Unfortunately, unspecific background due to auto-fluorescence, scattering, and non-ideal labeling efficiency often adversely affect imaging. Surface plasmon-coupled emission (SPCE) is known to selectively mediate fluorescence that spatially originates from regions close to the metal interface. However, SPCE combined with fluorescence imaging has not been widely successful so far, most likely due to its limited photon yield, which makes it tedious to identify the exact window of the application. As the strength of SPCE based imaging is its unique sectioning capabilities. We decided to identify its clear beneficial operational regime for biological settings by interrogating samples in the presence of ascending background levels. For fluorescent beads as well as live-cell imaging as examples, we show how to extend the imaging performance in extremely high photon background environments. In a common setup using plasmonic gold-coated coverslips using an objective-based total internal reflection fluorescence microscope (TIRF-M), we theoretically and experimentally characterize our fluoplasmonics (f-Pics) approach by providing general user guidance in choosing f-Pics over TIRF-M or classical wide-field (WF).
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