A regularized optimization approach for optogenetic stimulation using ferroelectric SLMs

Abstract

In this work, the problem of designing proper Phase-Shifting Masks (PSMs) suitable for optogenetic applications is considered. In such applications, structured light is used to stimulate neurons or groups of neurons while short-term excitation is required to study the dynamics of the neuronal activity. In practice, such fast response times can be achieved only via the use of ferroelectric Spatial Light Modulators (fSLMs) that posses significantly smaller response times as compared to the, more common, liquid crystal based SLMs. However, typical fSLMs are restricted to using only a small number of discrete phase levels. To this end, we propose a regularized cost function for Phase-Shifting Mask design, that promotes phases in a discrete phase set. Significantly higher Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) is achieved by the proposed approach, as compared to other approaches.