Full-field swept-source phase microscopy

We present a full-field phase microscopy technique for quantitative nanoscale surface profiling of samples in reflection. This technique utilizes swept-source optical coherence tomography in a full-field common path interferometer for phase-stable cross-sectional acquisition without scanning. Subwavelength variations in surface sample features are measured without interference from spurious reflections by processing the interferometric phase at a selected depth plane, providing a 1.3 nm stability for high signal-to-noise ratio surface features. Nanoscale imaging was demonstrated by measuring the location of receptor sites on a DNA assay biochip and the surface topography of erythrocytes in a blood smear.     

Spatial and temporal coherence effects in interference microscopy and full‐field optical coherence tomography

Low‐coherence optical microscopy or optical coherence microscopy uses light with short coherence length. The well‐known case is: “white‐light interferometry”, which became recently more known as: “optical coherence tomography”. However, when lenses and microscope objectives are used to create interferometric images, in what is known classically as “interference microscopy” or today as “full‐field optical coherence tomography” the spatial coherence starts to play a critical role. In this article the coherence effects in low‐coherence optical microscopy are reviewed. As this technology is becoming increasingly publicized due to its importance in three‐dimensional imaging, particularly of scattering biological media and optical metrology, the understanding of the fundamental physics behind it is essential. The interplay between longitudinal spatial coherence and temporal coherence and the effects associated with them are discussed in detail particularly when high numerical apertures are used. An important conclusion of this study is that a high‐contrast, high‐resolution system for imaging of multilayered samples is the one that uses narrowband illumination and high‐NA objectives with an index‐matching fluid. Such a system, when combined with frequency‐domain operation, can reveal nearly real‐time three‐dimensional images, and is thus competitive with confocal microscopy.     

A five-point stencil based algorithm used for phase shifting low-coherence interference microscopy

The phase shifting technique is the most widely used approach for detecting the envelope in low coherence interferometry. However, if the phase shifts calibration contains errors, some parasitic fringe structure will propagate into the calculated envelopes and cause imprecision in the envelope peak detection. To tackle these problems, a five-point stencil algorithm is introduced into the phase shifting interference microscopy. Considering the amount of parasitic fringes, envelope peak detection and computational efficiency, the presented approach leads to satisfactory results in performance. In combination with a simple polynomial curve fitting method the proposed algorithm exhibits good performance on envelope peak detection in surface profiling. Both of the simulated results and the experimental results indicated that the presented approach can be taken as an alternative to the currently existing methods used for phase shifting low-coherence interference microscopy.     

Process Algorithms for Resolution Improvement and Contrast Enhancement in Optical Coherence Tomography

We proposed two process algorithms for resolution improvement and contrast enhancement in the images of optical coherence tomography (OCT). An OCT system with a non-Gaussian light source spectrum or dispersion mismatch usually results in sidelobes in the interference fringe envelope that may produce artifacts and reduce image contrast. Based on the concept of deconvolution, we proposed two different process algorithms and demonstrated their effectiveness in retrieving sample structures. The effects of the process algorithms were examined by numerical simulations and real OCT scanning images. After processing with the proposed procedures, the effects of sidelobes were tremendously suppressed and the image qualities were improved.     

宽场光学相干断层成像系统的实验研究和模拟

改进和完善宽场光学相干断层成像技术(WFOCT)的主要方法是从光源、系统光路等方面进行改进.研究WFOCT系统的成像状态和环境状态对系统的横向分辨率的影响,借助ZEMAX光学设计软件模拟该系统的干涉效果,在实验中采用八步移相法来解析样品的二维图像信息,将解析出来的样品图像赋值到图像变量中进行存储显示.实验与模拟结果表明:模拟仿真获得的干涉信号含有对比度和平行度很高的干涉条纹,证明了利用ZEMAX软件模拟仿真干涉系统的可行性.     

Inverse scattering problem for optical coherence tomography

We deal with the imaging problem of determining the internal structure of a body from backscattered laser light and low-coherence interferometry. Specifically, using the interference fringes that result when the backscattering of low-coherence light is made to interfere with the reference beam, we obtain maps detailing the values of the refractive index within the sample. Our approach accounts fully for the statistical nature of the coherence phenomenon; the numerical experiments that we present, which show image reconstructions of high quality, were obtained under noise floors exceeding those present for various experimental setups reported in the literature.     

Spatial coherence on micrometer scale measured by a nanohole array

For microscopic interference setups like an arrangement for in-line holographic microscopy a partially coherent illumination with volumes of coherence in the micrometer scale is sufficient and helpful. For the sensitive measurement of the area of spatial coherence, we use a 125 × 125 nanohole array with aperture diameters of 530 nm and periodic distances of 4 μm. In contrast to Young's double pinhole, multiple beams interfere with each other and a peak intensity enhancement by more than a factor of 1000 can be reached. From the diameter of interference spots, which are located in the Talbot planes, we determine the diameter of the area of spatial coherence in the range of 5–50 μm. Limitations of this technique are given by the numerical aperture of the used imaging lens (100×/0.75) as well as the periodic distance of the apertures within the array.     

一种新的生物医学用快速实时低相干显微成象原理

本文讨论了一种将共焦显微术与迈克耳逊干涉术相结合,并利用宽带低相干光源相干长度短的特点而形成的一种可对高密度非透明样品进行显微成象的方法,并将这种显微成象方法与共焦显微成象方法进行了比较,最后讨论了一种快速实时成象的原理,基于这种原理设计的仪器将为生物和医学工作者提供一种新的非侵入测量和诊断手段.     

Surface plasmon interferometric microscopy for three-dimensional imaging of dynamic processes

A method, which we named surface plasmon interferometric microscopy, for real-time displaying of the dynamic evolution of the refractive index (RI) of a sample in three-dimensions is demonstrated experimentally. The Fourier fringe analysis technique is employed to get the phase variations of the samples by demodulating the interference patterns captured by a CCD camera, and the 3D RI distribution can be obtained through numerical interpolation from the relation between the phase and the RI of the samples. Our method may provide an interesting way to monitor fast dynamics of physical, biological, and chemical processes in real time.     

High angle phase modulated low coherence interferometry for path length resolved Doppler measurements of multiply scattered light

We describe an improved method for coherence domain path length resolved measurements of multiply scattered photons in turbid media. An electro-optic phase modulator sinusoidally modulates the phase in the reference arm of a low coherence fiber optic Mach-Zehnder interferometer, at a high phase modulation angle. For dynamic turbid media this results in Doppler broadened phase modulation interference peaks at the modulation frequency and its multiples. The signal to noise ratio is increased by almost one order or magnitude for large modulation angles and the shape of the spectral peaks resulting from the interference of Doppler shifted sample waves and reference light is not changed. The path length dependent Doppler broadening is compared with the theoretical predictions in the single scattered and diffusive regimes. The experimentally measured optical path lengths are validated with the Monte Carlo technique.     

Direct measurement of transverse coherence length of hard X rays from interference fringes

We propose a simple interferometric technique for hard x-ray spatial coherence characterization, recording a Fresnel interference pattern produced by a round fiber or a slit. We have derived analytical formulas that give a direct relation between a visibility of interference fringes and either the source size or the transverse coherence length. The technique is well suited to third-generation synchrotron radiation sources and was experimentally applied to determine the spatial coherence length and the source size at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.     

Interference effects in the UV(VUV)‐excited luminescence spectroscopy of thin dielectric films

The problem of exciting UV and VUV light interference affecting experimental photoluminescence excitation spectra is analysed for the case of thin transparent films containing arbitrarily distributed emission centres. A numerical technique and supplied software aimed at modelling the phenomenon and correcting the distorted spectra are proposed. Successful restoration results of the experimental synchrotron data for ion‐implanted silica films show that the suggested method has high potential.     

基于光束的相干特性拓展双缝实验教学实验内容

对部分相干光束的双缝实验干涉条纹进行了研究。利用转动的毛玻璃以及两个透镜构成了一个简单的产生部分相干光束的光学系统,通过调整毛玻璃与两个透镜的共焦点之间的距离,可以定量地控制光束的相干性。对不同相干性的光束经过双缝干涉之后的光强进行了实验观测,发现光束的相干性会对双缝干涉条纹的衬比度产生影响,光束的相干性越低,条纹衬比度也越小。并对实验结果进行了理论模拟,理论数值模拟的结果与实验观测结果基本一致。     

High-resolution quantitative phase microscopic imaging in deep UV with phase retrieval

High-resolution three-dimensional (3D) microscopic imaging requires the use of short wavelengths. Quantitative 3D imaging techniques, such as digital holographic microscopy, require interference between the object beam and a known reference background for the extraction of phase information. At shorter wavelengths, due to short coherence lengths, it may be difficult to implement a two-beam off-axis setup. Thus, a single-beam technique, which provides complete phase information, may be better suited for short wavelengths. This Letter describes the development of a quantitative microscopy technique at 193 nm using multiple intensity samplings and phase retrieval.     

Full Bandwidth Measurement of Supercontinuum Spectral Phase Coherence in Long Pulse Regime

Abstract

This article reports that spectral phase coherence in the supercontinuum in long pulse regime can be measured simply and effectively by using an interference technique with the help of a Mach–Zehnder interferometer. It is also demonstrated that chromatic dispersion on the fringe visibility of interference spectral patterns is overcome in the setup. The technique is applied to characterize supercontinuum spectral phase coherence in a highly non-linear optical fiber with different input conditions: unseeded, coherent seeded, and incoherent seeded picosecond pumps. The results confirm the phase coherence characteristic predicted theoretically in previous studies.     

正弦相位调制的频域光学相干层析成像

提出一种基于正弦相位调制的频域光学相干层析成像,利用正弦相位调制干涉术探测复频域干涉条纹的实部和虚部,重建复频域干涉条纹。对该复频域干涉条纹作逆傅里叶变换后,消除了频域光学相干层析成像中存在的复共轭镜像以及直流背景和自相干噪声。对玻璃片样品进行了层析成像实验。实验结果表明,采用正弦相位调制的频域光学相干层析成像,将可利用的成像深度范围扩大到原来的2倍,实现了全深度探测的频域光学相干层析成像。     

Full-field optical coherence microscopy based on acousto-optic filtration of interference images

The problem of three-dimensional near-surface imaging of microscopic structures is discussed. Anew scheme of optical coherence microscope with detection in the spectral domain is proposed. It is based on a broadband light source and filtration of interference images by a tunable acousto-optic imaging filter placed in the detection channel. The applicability of the scheme for analyzing depth distributions of object properties is experimentally demonstrated.     

Direct object-shape comparison by light-in-flight speckle interferometry

A method is proposed for direct optical comparison of the three-dimensional shapes of objects by light-in-flight speckle holography. The basic idea of this technique is to use an ultrashort laser pulse with a short coherence length to produce interference patterns that present a single contouring of the object. A simple experiment using plane diffuse objects was performed to verify the method.     

Local magnetic probes of superconductors

Investigations of the magnetic properties of high temperature superconductors (HTSs) have revealed the existence of striking new vortex phenomena due, in part, to their strong crystalline anisotropy, very short coherence lengths and the much larger thermal energies available at high temperatures. Some of these phenomena, for example vortex lattice 'melting', pose serious problems for technological applications of the most anisotropic HTS materials and a fuller understanding of them is of considerable importance. The most direct information regarding vortex structures and dynamics is obtained through local measurement of the magnetic field within or at the surface of a superconducting sample. A detailed review of such local magnetic probes is presented here including Lorentz microscopy, magnetic force microscopy, Bitter decoration, scanning Hall probe microscopy, magneto-optical imaging, and scanning superconducting quantum interference device microscopy. In each case the principles underpinning the technique are described together with the factors that limit the magnetic field and the spatial and temporal resolution. A range of examples will be given, emphasizing applications in the area of HTSs. In addition the ways in which the existing techniques can be expected to develop over the next few years will be discussed and new approaches that seem likely to be successful described.     

En face imaging of single cell layers by differential phase-contrast optical coherence microscopy

Optical coherence microscopy (OCM) is capable of imaging the backscattering potential of a sample with high transversal and axial resolution. We report on a combination of OCM with a differential phase-contrast technique that permits imaging of the subwavelength optical path differences that occur between a narrow beam probing a sample and its surrounding. This technique allows small transversal refractive-index variations close to a selected interface to be seen. We report on the method and present first images of a test sample and a single cell layer. The cells act as phase objects; imaging the phase properties improves the contrast compared with that of intensity images.