Quasi-non-diffracting static light sheets generated by multiple slit interference mask

Abstract

Ultrathin non-diffracting light sheets are crucial for light sheet fluorescence microscopy to provide near-diffraction-limited resolutions over a large field of view. Non-diffracting beams such as Bessel or Airy beams generate semi-uniform LSs that feature wide span ranges but often come with strong sidelobes or increased thickness. Moreover, they require scanning, extensive adjustments, and are costly. Through computer simulations, we show here that it is possible to generate quasi-non-diffracting static light sheets with suppressed side lobes in a simple and efficient fashion. This is achieved by placing a multiple slit interference mask (MSIM) on a cylindrical lens. As the name MSIM implies, our technique merely relies on the well-known physics of multi-slit interference to engineer light sheets. Simply dialing the mask’s geometry enables us to generate sidelobe-free light sheets with limited length or ones with a longer length but a broader thickness. This new technique promises to be adaptive in various in vivo and in vitro imaging configurations since we can engineer the light sheet, i.e., make it smaller or larger depending on the needed resolution, the size of the field of view, and the optical properties of the biological sample. This development holds significant potential for advancing microscopy techniques and facilitating groundbreaking discoveries in various biological and biomedical research fields.