Simultaneous plane illumination and detection in confocal microscopy using a mode-selective photonic lantern

TL;DR

This paper introduces a fiber-based mode-selective photonic lantern (MSPL) for confocal microscopy, enabling simultaneous multi-plane imaging to accelerate 3D cellular imaging.

Contribution

The novel MSPL device transforms single-mode light into multiple modes for concurrent detection of several planes in confocal microscopy.

Findings

Demonstrated high-throughput multi-plane imaging with MSPL

Exploited mode focus differences for individual plane detection

Achieved simultaneous imaging with some resolution and FOV trade-offs

Abstract

Confocal microscopy is the cornerstone of cellular biology and biomedical research due to its non-destructive imaging, compatibility with live cells, sensitivity, optical sectioning, and subcellular resolution. To meet the demand for rapid three-dimensional imaging, we propose a novel approach using a mode-selective photonic lantern (MSPL). This fiber-based device transforms single-mode light into multiple linearly polarized modes, allowing simultaneous detection of multiple planes. Using a four-port MSPL to manipulate three group modes (LP$_{01}$, LP$_{11}$, and LP$_{21}$), we demonstrate high-throughput imaging simultaneously with multiple planes. This technique exploits differences in focus sections across modes, enabling individual multi-plane detection via a spatial division multiplexer, with some trade-off in resolution and field of view.