La Cavera Salvatore, Pérez-Cota Fernando, Smith Richard J, Clark Matt
Optics and Photonics Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
Light Sci Appl. 2021 Apr 27;10(1):91. doi: 10.1038/s41377-021-00532-7.
We show for the first time that a single ultrasonic imaging fibre is capable of simultaneously accessing 3D spatial information and mechanical properties from microscopic objects. The novel measurement system consists of two ultrafast lasers that excite and detect high-frequency ultrasound from a nano-transducer that was fabricated onto the tip of a single-mode optical fibre. A signal processing technique was also developed to extract nanometric in-depth spatial measurements from GHz frequency acoustic waves, while still allowing Brillouin spectroscopy in the frequency domain. Label-free and non-contact imaging performance was demonstrated on various polymer microstructures. This singular device is equipped with optical lateral resolution, 2.5 μm, and a depth-profiling precision of 45 nm provided by acoustics. The endoscopic potential for this device is exhibited by extrapolating the single fibre to tens of thousands of fibres in an imaging bundle. Such a device catalyses future phonon endomicroscopy technology that brings the prospect of label-free in vivo histology within reach.
我们首次展示了单根超声成像光纤能够同时从微观物体获取三维空间信息和力学特性。这种新型测量系统由两台超快激光器组成，它们激发并检测来自纳米换能器的高频超声，该纳米换能器制作在单模光纤的尖端。还开发了一种信号处理技术，用于从千兆赫兹频率的声波中提取纳米级深度空间测量值，同时仍允许在频域进行布里渊光谱分析。在各种聚合物微结构上展示了无标记和非接触成像性能。这种独特的设备具有2.5μm的光学横向分辨率和声学提供的45nm深度剖析精度。通过将单根光纤外推到成像束中的数万根光纤，展示了该设备的内窥镜应用潜力。这样的设备推动了未来声子内镜技术的发展，使无标记体内组织学的前景触手可及。
