Revolutionizing 3D Quantitative Phase Imaging with a Novel Wavelength-Multiplexed Diffractive Optical Processor
Exciting Breakthrough in 3D Quantitative Phase Imaging Technology
Researchers at the University of California have developed a groundbreaking technology that revolutionizes 3D Quantitative Phase Imaging (QPI). The innovative approach, utilizing a wavelength-multiplexed diffractive optical processor, offers a more efficient and less computationally demanding method for obtaining high-resolution images of transparent specimens.
Quantitative Phase Imaging (QPI) is a cutting-edge optical technology that allows researchers to observe and quantify phase fluctuations in various materials and biological samples. Unlike traditional imaging techniques that rely on staining or labeling, QPI produces high-contrast images that enable noninvasive examinations crucial for fields such as biology, materials science, and engineering.
The new multiplane QPI design developed by the UCLA team leverages deep learning to optimize wavelength multiplexing and passive diffractive optical elements. This design allows for fast quantitative phase imaging of specimens across multiple axial planes by executing spectrally multiplexed phase-to-intensity transformations.
Lead researcher Aydogan Ozcan, Chancellor’s Professor at the University of California, expressed excitement about the potential of this new technology for biomedical imaging and sensing. The wavelength-multiplexed diffractive optical processor offers a novel solution for high-resolution, label-free imaging of transparent specimens, which could significantly benefit biomedical microscopy, sensing, and diagnostics applications.
The research, published in Advanced Photonics, showcases the successful validation of the method through a proof-of-concept experiment that imaged unique phase objects at various axial positions in the terahertz band. The design’s scalability allows for adaptation to different electromagnetic spectrum regions, opening up new possibilities for integrating phase imaging solutions with focal plane arrays or image sensor arrays to create on-chip imaging and sensing devices.
This breakthrough in 3D QPI technology has the potential to impact a wide range of domains, including biological imaging, sensing, materials science, and environmental analysis. By offering a faster and more effective way for 3D QPI, this novel approach could enhance applications such as environmental sample monitoring, material characterization, illness diagnosis and research, and more.
The research paper, titled “Multiplane quantitative phase imaging using a wavelength-multiplexed diffractive optical processor,” can be found in Advanced Photonics. (doi.org/10.1117/1.ap.6.5.056003)
