Spatial light interference microscopy (SLIM)

We present spatial light interference microscopy (SLIM) as a new optical microscopy technique, capable of measuring nanoscale structures and dynamics in live cells via interferometry. SLIM combines two classic ideas in light imaging: Zernike's phase contrast microscopy, which renders high contrast intensity images of transparent specimens, and Gabor's holography, where the phase information from the object is recorded. Thus, SLIM reveals the intrinsic contrast of cell structures and, in addition, renders quantitative optical path-length maps across the sample. The resulting topographic accuracy is comparable to that of atomic force microscopy, while the acquisition speed is 1,000 times higher. We illustrate…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Awards: CAREER 08-46660, CAREER
• GF
  Grainger Foundation
• NI
  National Institute of Mental Health
• NI
  National Institute of Child Health and Human Development