Versatile compressive microscope for hyperspectral transmission and fluorescence lifetime imaging.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Microscopy
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Advanced materials require multimodal characterization.
• Combining techniques like hyperspectral imaging and fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) is challenging due to differing instrumentation and conditions.
• Existing systems rarely integrate these methods effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, versatile microscope for simultaneous multimodal characterization of materials.
• To overcome the limitations of integrating disparate imaging techniques into a single setup.
• To provide a simple, affordable, and adaptable platform for complex material studies.

Main Methods:

• A novel single-pixel imaging microscopy system was designed and implemented.
• The system integrates hyperspectral imaging and fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) using a simple optical configuration.
• Performance was validated against standard FLIM and non-imaging transmission spectroscopy.

Main Results:

• The microscope successfully combines hyperspectral and FLIM measurements with inherently matched spatial data.
• Achieved spectral resolution of 3 nm and temporal resolution of 120 ps.
• Demonstrated seamless switching between broad field-of-view and micrometer resolution without optical reconfiguration.

Conclusions:

• The developed single-pixel imaging microscope offers a versatile and affordable solution for multimodal material characterization.
• The design is adaptable for incorporating additional characterization methods.
• This approach simplifies complex material studies with flexible imaging parameters.