Compact Spectral Encoding Microscopy by Terrace Grating Optics

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Microscopy
• Biomedical Imaging

Background:

• Multispectral imaging is crucial in microscopy but often requires complex optics or limits spectral range.
• Existing solutions can be bulky, expensive, or lack continuous spectral coverage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the Terrace grating optics family as a simple, add-on component for continuous spectral encoding in standard microscopes.
• To demonstrate the versatility and efficiency of Terrace gratings for various imaging tasks.

Main Methods:

• Development of flat, 3D-printable Terrace grating elements with variants for single-order and dual-order operation.
• Utilizing a Fourier-optics model to establish the relationship between grating parameters and wavelength displacement.
• Experimental validation using snapshot decoding of mRNA barcodes and multicolor imaging of C. elegans.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated continuous spectral encoding with linear control over wavelength displacement via grating parameters.
• Successfully applied Terrace gratings for rapid, single-exposure multicolor imaging of biological samples.
• Showcased simultaneous depth and color readout using spectral and depth encoding masks.

Conclusions:

• Terrace gratings provide a practical, plug-and-play solution for continuous multispectral imaging in conventional microscopes.
• These gratings offer an efficient alternative to traditional prisms and blazed gratings.
• The technology enables advanced imaging capabilities, including multicolor and depth-resolved analysis.