Sidelobe-suppressed sub-diffraction-limit quasi-non-diffracting light sheets achieved by super-oscillatory lenses

Area of Science:

• Optics
• Microscopy
• Photonics

Background:

• Sub-diffraction-limit quasi-non-diffracting light sheets (SQLSs) are essential for advanced light sheet microscopy (LSM).
• Existing SQLS methods suffer from sidelobes, which cause significant background noise and limit imaging quality.
• High signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is critical for detailed biological imaging in LSM.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel method for generating sidelobe-suppressed SQLSs.
• To simultaneously achieve sub-diffraction-limit thickness, quasi-non-diffracting properties, and reduced sidelobes in SQLSs.
• To enhance the performance of light sheet microscopy through improved light sheet generation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized super-oscillatory lenses (SOLs) in conjunction with a self-trade-off optimization method.
• Implemented a window-like energy allocation strategy to further refine sidelobe suppression.
• Characterized the generated SQLSs for thickness, non-diffracting behavior, and sidelobe intensity.

Main Results:

• Achieved SQLSs with sidelobes reduced to 15.4%, simultaneously meeting sub-diffraction-limit thickness and quasi-non-diffracting criteria.
• The window-like energy allocation further suppressed sidelobes, resulting in theoretical sidelobes as low as 7.6%.
• Demonstrated a significant reduction in background noise compared to conventional methods.

Conclusions:

• The self-trade-off optimized SOL method effectively suppresses sidelobes in SQLSs.
• This approach offers a new strategy for managing sidelobes in light sheet generation.
• The developed SQLSs show great potential for high SNR light sheet microscopy applications.