Planar photonic chips with tailored angular transmission for high-contrast-imaging devices

Yan Kuai, Junxue Chen, Zetao Fan, Gang Zou, Joseph. R. Lakowicz and Douguo Zhang ()
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Yan Kuai: University of Science and Technology of China
Junxue Chen: Guilin University of Technology
Zetao Fan: University of Science and Technology of China
Gang Zou: University of Science and Technology of China
Joseph. R. Lakowicz: University of Maryland School of Medicine
Douguo Zhang: University of Science and Technology of China

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract A limitation of standard brightfield microscopy is its low contrast images, especially for thin specimens of weak absorption, and biological species with refractive indices very close in value to that of their surroundings. We demonstrate, using a planar photonic chip with tailored angular transmission as the sample substrate, a standard brightfield microscopy can provide both darkfield and total internal reflection (TIR) microscopy images with one experimental configuration. The image contrast is enhanced without altering the specimens and the microscope configurations. This planar chip consists of several multilayer sections with designed photonic band gaps and a central region with dielectric nanoparticles, which does not require top-down nanofabrication and can be fabricated in a larger scale. The photonic chip eliminates the need for a bulky condenser or special objective to realize darkfield or TIR illumination. Thus, it can work as a miniaturized high-contrast-imaging device for the developments of versatile and compact microscopes.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27231-6

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