Abstract

The last decade has seen immense advances in photonics based methods for imaging and manipulation. However in many photonics fields there is a recognition that using the direct form a laser output – the Gaussian beam – is restrictive for a number of applications in biophotonics including manipulation, imaging and beyond [1]. I will describe the use of shaped light fields namely propagation invariant (‘non-diffracting’) light fields and complex beam shaping. Propagation invariant light fields, as the name suggests retain their transverse intensity profile upon propagation. Bessel light fields and Airy light fields are prime examples of such beams. In terms of imaging, single plane illumination (light sheet) microscopy (SPIM) offers a myriad of unique advantages. Orthogonal detection allows rapid imaging of large, three-dimensional, samples of living tissue. Illumination with a thin sheet of light ensures high contrast by minimizing the fluorescent background. Moreover, by restricting the sample exposure to a single plane, photo-bleaching and damage are minimized. This is crucial when imaging photo-sensitive samples over a larger period of time. Recent enhancements to the original technique attempt to overcome the inherent trade off between axial resolution and field-of-view of conventional light sheet microscopy. Until recently, this was only achieved by compromising on one or more of its key advantages: high contrast, time-resolution, or minimal sample exposure. I will discuss the use of propagation invariant light fields for the enhancement within this imaging modality [2-4].

© 2015 IEEE