Halo Reduction Technique in Phase Contrast Microscopy

A new phase contrast microscopy technique has been developed which achieves halo reduction by applying an apodization to the Zernike phase contrast method. In this technique, a new apodized phase plate is placed at the back focal plane of the objective. This plate consists of a quarter wave phase shift ring conjugated of the illuminating aperture, which has a 25#x0025; transmittance, and a pair of adjacent rings having 50#x0025; transmittance. The developed technique yields the highest resolution images without a bluish hue effect ever achieved in phase contrast microscopy.This paper was originally presented at the 2nd International Conference on Optical Design and Fabrication, ODF2000 which was held on November 15-17, 2000 at the International Conference Center, Tokyo, Waseda University, Japan.     

X射线相衬成像中靶丸球壳界面晕区暗区现象

在微聚焦X射线以及等离子体X射线源平台上开展了多层球壳靶丸的相衬成像实验。实验结果表明,通过相衬成像能够获得清晰的多层球壳靶丸图像并观察到球壳内外表面晕区暗区现象。根据光的折射原理解释了该晕区暗区现象产生的物理机制。实验结果与几何模型计算结果符合较好。     

Quantitative phase retrieval in X‐ray Zernike phase contrast microscopy

In recent years, increasing attention has been devoted to X‐ray phase contrast imaging, since it can provide high‐contrast images by using phase variations. Among the different existing techniques, Zernike phase contrast microscopy is one of the most popular phase‐sensitive techniques for investigating the fine structure of the sample at high spatial resolution. In X‐ray Zernike phase contrast microscopy, the image contrast is indeed a mixture of absorption and phase contrast. Therefore, this technique just provides qualitative information on the object, which makes the interpretation of the image difficult. In this contribution, an approach is proposed for quantitative phase retrieval in X‐ray Zernike phase contrast microscopy. By shifting the phase of the direct light by π/2 and 3π/2, two images of the same object are measured successively. The phase information of the object can then be quantitatively retrieved by a proper combination of the measured images. Numerical experiments were carried out and the results confirmed the feasibility of the proposed method. It is expected that the proposed method will find widespread applications in biology, materials science and so on.     

A variable-wavelength-based approach of phase retrieval for contrast transfer function based methods

X-ray phase-contrast imaging has emerged as an important method for improving contrast and sensitivity in the field of X-ray imaging. This increase in the sensitivity is attributed to the fact that, in the hard X-ray regime, the phase shift is more prominent as compared with the attenuation for materials having a low X-ray absorption coefficient. Among all the methods using the X-ray phase-contrast technique, in-line phase-contrast imaging scores over the other methods in terms of ease of implementation and efficient use of available X-ray flux. In order to retrieve the projected phase map of the object from the recorded intensity pattern, a large number of algorithms have been proposed. These algorithms generally use either the transport of intensity or contrast transfer function based approach for phase retrieval. In this paper it is proposed to use multiple wavelengths for phase retrieval using the contrast transfer function based formalism.     

Optical nonlinearity measurement of 4-(N-methyl, N-hydroxyethl)amino, 4'-nitroazobenzene using a transmittance technique with a phase object (T-PO) with top-hat beams at 600-nm wavelength

The transmittance technique with a phase object(T-PO),for measuring optical nonlinear coefficients is proposed with a top-hat beam.The sensitivity of the T-PO with a top-hat beam is a factor of 4 greater than that with a Gaussian beam.The validity of this method is verified by measuring the nonlinearity of a well-characterized liquid,CS 2 at 532-nm wavelength.The ease of use of this method has been proved by measuring a new compound 4-(N-methyl,N-hydroxyethyl)amino,4’-nitroazobenzene(ANAB) at 600-nm wavelength,indicating that this method can be extended to the measurement of optical nonlinearities in a wide-band spectrum.     

Realization of Absolute‐Phase Unwrapping and Speckle Suppression in Laser Digital Holography

In this paper, an absolute‐phase unwrapping and speckle suppression approach to reconstruct a three‐dimensional (3‐D) image of an object with laser digital holography is described. This method offers three advantages to enhance the performance of the phase reconstruction technique. First, both speckle suppression and phase unwrapping are processed in the complex amplitude domain rather than in the single phase or amplitude domain. With this approach, the phase details of the object are better preserved upon phase reconstruction. Second, the proposed algorithm requires no threshold determination and thus achieves self‐adaptive speckle suppression and robust phase unwrapping, in contrast to other methods. Finally, an improved dual‐domain image denoising method is applied to further remove speckle‐remnant‐induced phase distortion. Ideal 3‐D phase reconstruction results are obtained both theoretically and experimentally for the first time.     

冲击加载过程中苯的液—固相转变

利用一级轻气炮加载技术和最近发展的一种透光性测量技术,在线观测到液态苯在多次冲击压缩过程中透光性随时间变化特征.分析表明,导致透光性下降的原因是局部发生液—固相变而引起的光散射效应,且散射特征反映了相变过程的时间弛豫和空间积累特性.结果澄清了苯在冲击条件下液—固相变是否发生的争论,对冲击相变动力学研究提供了重要实验依据. 关键词： 苯 多次冲击压缩 液—固相变 透光性     

Fringe contrast-based 3D profilometry using fringe projection

Quality-guided algorithm is a widely used method in phase unwrapping. This paper shows an accurate quality map based on fringe contrast for 3D shape measurement. Phase-shifted fringe patterns are projected onto an object surface by a programmable liquid crystal projector and recorded by a CCD camera. A wrapped phase map and a fringe contrast map are extracted from the deformed fringe patterns by the phase-shifting technique. Guided by the contrast map, the quality-guided unwrapping algorithm minimizes unwanted shadow and non-uniform surface reflectance effects and is able to retrieve a correct surface profile. Validity of the proposed method is tested on a fish model and a cutting tool specimen.     

Performance analysis of quantitative phase retrieval method in Zernike phase contrast X-ray microscopy

Since the invention of Zernike phase contrast method in 1930,it has been widely used in optical microscopy and more recently in X-ray microscopy.Considering the image contrast is a mixture of absorption and phase information,we recently have proposed and demonstrated a method for quantitative phase retrieval in Zernike phase contrast X-ray microscopy.In this contribution,we analyze the performance of this method at different photon energies.Intensity images of PMMA samples are simulated at 2.5 keV and 6.2 keV,respectively,and phase retrieval is performed using the proposed method.The results demonstrate that the proposed phase retrieval method is applicable over a wide energy range.For weakly absorbing features,the optimal photon energy is 2.5 keV,from the point of view of image contrast and accuracy of phase retrieval.On the other hand,in the case of strong absorption objects,a higher photon energy is preferred to reduce the error of phase retrieval.These results can be used as guidelines to perform quantitative phase retrieval in Zernike phase contrast X-ray microscopy with the proposed method.     

聚合物泡沫结构及密度分布的相衬CT表征技术

阐述了利用X射线相衬成像技术研究高分子有机泡沫材料微观结构的原理及方法,理论分析及实验结果表明,X射线相衬成像方法可以在相当大的程度上提高低Z聚合物泡沫材料的成像衬度。将相衬成像技术与计算机层析成像技术相结合,获得了泡沫样品的3维骨架结构分布,同时,提出利用统计切片骨架"粒子"质心分布的方法来表征其密度分布均匀性。结果说明,该方法能够在微观层次上实现对泡沫样品3维密度分布的完备表征。     

Array illumination with minimal non-uniformity based on generalized phase contrast

The generalized phase contrast method (GPC) has been previously shown to be an efficient technique for generating array illumination and is thus highly suitable for such applications as dynamic multiple beam trapping and optical micromanipulation. However, projected arrays usually exhibit intensity roll-offs that may be undesirable for some applications. We show that the uniformity of GPC-generated array illuminations can be improved using intuitive corrections to the input spatial phase modulation, by increasing or decreasing it to respectively raise or lower the intensity of the corresponding output spots to improve uniformity. This is combined with matching corrections to the phase shift introduced by the phase contrast filter. Results from numerical experiments show that the array illumination uniformity error improves from over 40% to less than 1% while maintaining the efficiency prior to implementing corrections.     

Simple measurement of nonlinear refraction by using a single pulse and beam

A very simple technique, by which both the magnitude and the sign of nonlinear refraction can be determined through using only one single pulse and beam with a phase object, is presented. Using this technique, only the transmittance of an aperture in the far field is investigated. We study the nonlinear refraction of the carbon disulfide by using the presented technique with 21~ps pulses at a wavelength of 532~nm as a test.     

A new method of detecting interferogram in differential phase-contrast imaging system based on special structured x-ray scintillator screen

An x-ray scintillator screen with a special structure,functioning as detector and analyser grating,was proposed for collecting the interferogram of differential phase contrast imaging without absorption grating and difficulty of fabrication by a state of the art technique.On the basis of phase grating diffraction,a detecting model of the scintillator screen was built for analysing the phase and absorption information of objects.According to the analysis,a new method of phase retrievals based on two-images and the optimal structure of screen were presented.     

两步相移实现投影栅相位测量轮廓术

提出一种新的投影栅相位测量方法--两步相移法。该方法只需两幅相移条纹图，因此计算量小，速度快。给出了实验及计算结果，并同四步相移法进行了比较，证明了该方法具有较高的精度。     

X射线相衬成像应用于惯性约束核聚变多层球壳靶丸检测

随着惯性约束核聚变(ICF)研究的逐步深入,尤其是氘氚(DT)燃料层球壳梯度掺杂的广泛应用,对轻物质界面的诊断需求日益增长.在北京同步辐射形貌成像站的微米CT机上利用类同轴相衬成像方法获取了三层球壳靶丸的相衬图像,最佳空间分辨率达到了2μupm,衬度达到12%;通过分析边缘增强函数和衬度传递函数之间的关系,总结出一套完整的类同轴相衬成像方法,同时将相衬成像结果与吸收成像结果对比.实验结果表明,X射线相衬成像在轻物质界面的分辨中具有明显的优势,能够广泛应用于ICF研究、医学断层扫描CT装置和生物结构等前沿科学领域.     

Nondestructive measurement of loss performance in channel waveguide devices with phase modulator

A novel method using a phase modulator is proposed for the nondestructive measurement of propagation loss in a channel waveguide. The phase modulator was fabricated on a Ti-diffused LiNbO3 crystal. Tuning the effective optical length of a waveguide by application of an electrical field on the phase modulator, the contrast of the resultant Fabry-Perot resonator in a channel waveguide device can be measured. The associated propagation attenuation coefficients are determined from the experimental results. Coordination of the phase modulator with an optical channel waveguide device not only allows measurement of the bending loss, but improvement in the relative intensity noise owing to the reduction of the reflected power.     

Improvement in appearance of colors for elderly persons using lightness transform

The color of an object appears to be different for elderly and young persons. This is because human visual features vary with on age. In general, the spectral transmittance of the crystalline lens of an elderly person is lower than that of a young person. The low spectral transmittance decreases the brightness of the visual field. This phenomenon affects the color appearance of an image in human visual perception. In this paper, a lightness transform method is proposed to improve the color appearance of images for elderly persons. In the proposed method, colors that are difficult for an elderly person to see are transformed into colors that are easy to see by adding lightness contrast. The performance of the proposed method is confirmed in experiments using digital images.     

X射线光栅相位成像的理论和方法

通过对X射线光栅相位衬度成像实验装置的理论分析,提出了光栅位移曲线的表达式,推导出了X射线光栅相位衬度成像方程.根据该成像方程,提出了基于光栅成像相位提取方法.这些理论结果将简化光栅相位衬度成像实验步骤,提高信息获取效率,并为X射线光栅相位衬度成像和计算机断层成像的结合,进一步提出光栅相位衬度CT的简化理论奠定基础. 关键词： X射线 相位衬度成像 光栅衍射 Talbot效应     

Zone Plate Common Path Interferometer for Testing Aspherical Mirror with Large Aperture

A new CGH (computer generated hologram) common path interferometer, which can be used for testing an aspherical mirror with large aperture, is proposed. This interferometer does not have a circle of least confusion, and a spatial filter can be used effectively to stop extraneous lights so that interferograms with good contrast can be obtained. The phase shifting technique can be easily applied to the interferometer. The method of designing and making the CGH zone-plate is described.     

Identification of the pressure-induced phase transition of ZnSe with the positron annihilation method

This paper studies the pressure-induced phase transition between zincblende (B3) and NaCl (B1) structure ZnSe by using the hydrostatic pressure first-principles pseudopotential plane wave method. The energy-volume and enthalpy-pressure curves are employed to estimate the transition pressure. It is found that ZnSe undergoes a first-order phase transition from the B3 structure to the B1 structure at approximately 15 GPa derived from the energy-volume relation and 14 GPa based on deduction from enthalpy-pressure data. The pressure-related positron bulk lifetimes of the two ZnSe structures are calculated with the atomic superposition approximation method. In comparison with the 13.4% reduction in volume of ZnSe at the transition pressure, the positron bulk lifetime decreases more significantly and the relative value declines up to 22.3%. The results show that positron annihilation is an effective technique to identify and characterize the first-order phase transition and can give valuable information about changes in micro-scale, such as volume shrinkage and compressibility.