Fourier Raman light field microscopy based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering

Area of Science:

• Biophotonics
• Microscopy
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Raman scattering offers photobleaching resistance and material-specific information for biological imaging.
• Current 3D Raman imaging is slow, requiring hours of scanning, limiting its application.
• A fast, non-scanning 3D Raman imaging method is crucial for real-time biological studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid, non-scanning 3D Raman imaging technique.
• To enhance Raman scattering signals for improved imaging sensitivity.
• To enable artifact-free 3D Raman reconstruction at the native object plane.

Main Methods:

• Fourier Raman light field microscopy (FRLFM) combined with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS).
• Utilized flower-like gap-enhanced Raman nanoparticles (F-GERNs) for signal amplification.
• Acquired 4D Raman field information in a single frame for 3D reconstruction.

Main Results:

• Achieved 3D Raman image reconstruction without artifacts at the native object plane.
• Demonstrated potential for specific location marking and tracing using F-GERNs.
• Obtained lateral resolution of 2.40 µm and axial resolution of 4.02 µm.

Conclusions:

• The proposed sers-FRLFM method significantly accelerates 3D Raman imaging.
• F-GERNs enhance Raman signals and offer potential for targeted imaging and tracing.
• This technique holds great promise for 3D real-time imaging of cells, microorganisms, and tissues.