Multifocal axial confocal microscopic scanning with a phase-only liquid crystal spatial light modulator

Aiming at the shortcomings of mechanical scanning methods, non-mechanical scanning method is proposed. A zoom illuminating lens which has multiple focal points is realized by introducing Liquid Crystal Spatial Light Modulator (LC-SLM) into the confocal illumination light path, and thus it produces the multifocal zoom lens axially. The axial optical sectioning in a conventional confocal microscope is achieved by beam scanning rather than mechanically moving the objective lens, which enhances the capacity of chromatography and improves the scanning speed with greater accuracy. To generate and shift the multiple axial focal points, the modulation phase bitmaps of LC-SLM is changed. Simulation results further show that multifocal axial confocal beam scanning replacing mechanical scanning can therefore be implemented.