Ferroelectric Spatial Light Modulator Research Articles

Holographic optogenetic stimulation with calcium imaging as an all optical tool for cardiac electrophysiology

All optical approaches to control and read out the electrical activity in a cardiac syncytium can improve our understanding of cardiac electrophysiology. Here, we demonstrate optogenetic stimulation of cardiomyocytes with high spatial precision using light foci generated with a ferroelectric spatial light modulator. Computer generated holograms binarized by bidirectional error diffusion create multiple foci with more even intensity distribution compared with thresholding approach. We evoke the electrical activity of cardiac HL1 cells expressing the channelrhodopsin-2 variant, ChR2(H134R) using single and multiple light foci and at the same time visualize the action potential using a calcium sensitive indicator called Cal-630. We show that localized regions in the cardiac monolayer can be stimulated enabling us to initiate signal propagation from a precise location. Furthermore, we demonstrate that probing the cardiac cells with multiple light foci enhances the excitability of the cardiac network. This approach opens new applications in manipulating and visualizing the electrical activity in a cardiac syncytium.

Adaptive Digital Hologram Binarization Method Based on Local Thresholding, Block Division and Error Diffusion.

High-speed optical reconstruction of 3D-scenes can be achieved using digital holography with binary digital micromirror devices (DMD) or a ferroelectric spatial light modulator (fSLM). There are many algorithms for binarizing digital holograms. The most common are methods based on global and local thresholding and error diffusion techniques. In addition, hologram binarization is used in optical encryption, data compression, beam shaping, 3D-displays, nanofabrication, materials characterization, etc. This paper proposes an adaptive binarization method based on a combination of local threshold processing, hologram division into blocks, and error diffusion procedure (the LDE method). The method is applied for binarization of optically recorded and computer-generated digital holograms of flat objects and three-dimensional scenes. The quality of reconstructed images was compared with different methods of error diffusion and thresholding. Image reconstruction quality was up to 22% higher by various metrics than that one for standard binarization methods. The optical hologram reconstruction using DMD confirms the results of the numerical simulations.

Optogenetic Stimulation of Human Neural Networks Using Fast Ferroelectric Spatial Light Modulator—Based Holographic Illumination

The generation and application of human stem-cell-derived functional neural circuits promises novel insights into neurodegenerative diseases. These networks are often studied using stem-cell derived random neural networks in vitro, with electrical stimulation and recording using multielectrode arrays. However, the impulse response function of networks is best obtained with spatiotemporally well-defined stimuli, which electrical stimulation does not provide. Optogenetics allows for the functional control of genetically altered cells with light stimuli at high spatiotemporal resolution. Current optogenetic investigations of neural networks are often conducted using full field illumination, potentially masking important functional information. This can be avoided using holographically shaped illumination. In this article, we present a digital holographic illumination setup with a spatial resolution of about 8 µm, which suffices for the stimulation of single neurons, and offers a temporal resolution of less than 0.6 ms. With this setup, we present preliminary single-cell stimulation recording of stem-cell derived induced human neurons in a random neural network. This will offer the opportunity for further studies on connectivity in such networks.

Zonal wavefront sensing with enhanced spatial resolution.

In this Letter, we introduce a scheme to enhance the spatial resolution of a zonal wavefront sensor. The zonal wavefront sensor comprises an array of binary gratings implemented by a ferroelectric spatial light modulator (FLCSLM) followed by a lens, in lieu of the array of lenses in the Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor. We show that the fast response of the FLCSLM device facilitates quick display of several laterally shifted binary grating patterns, and the programmability of the device enables simultaneous capturing of each focal spot array. This eventually leads to a wavefront estimation with an enhanced spatial resolution without much sacrifice on the sensor frame rate, thus making the scheme suitable for high spatial resolution measurement of transient wavefronts. We present experimental and numerical simulation results to demonstrate the importance of the proposed wavefront sensing scheme.

Note: laser beam scanning using a ferroelectric liquid crystal spatial light modulator.

In this work we describe laser beam scanning using a ferroelectric liquid crystal spatial light modulator. Commercially available ferroelectric liquid crystal spatial light modulators are capable of displaying 85 colored images in 1 s using a time dithering technique. Each colored image, in fact, comprises 24 single bit (black and white) images displayed sequentially. We have used each single bit image to write a binary phase hologram. For a collimated laser beam incident on the hologram, one of the diffracted beams can be made to travel along a user defined direction. We have constructed a beam scanner employing the above arrangement and demonstrated its use to scan a single laser beam in a laser scanning optical sectioning microscope setup.

Video-rate structured illumination microscopy for high-throughput imaging of large tissue areas

We report the development of a structured illumination microscopy instrument specifically designed for the requirements for high-area-throughput, optically-sectioned imaging of large, fluorescently-stained tissue specimens. The system achieves optical sectioning frame-rates of up to 33 Hz (and pixel sampling rates of up to 138.4 MHz), by combining a fast, ferroelectric spatial light modulator for pattern generation with the latest large-format, high frame-rate scientific CMOS camera technology. Using a 10X 0.45 NA objective and a 7 mm/sec scan stage, we demonstrate 4.4 cm(2)/min area-throughput rates in bright tissue-simulating phantoms, and 2 cm(2)/min area-throughput rates in thick, highly-absorbing, fluorescently-stained muscle tissue, with 1.3 μm lateral resolution. We demonstrate high-contrast, high-resolution imaging of a fluorescently-stained 30.4 cm(2) bovine muscle specimen in 15 minutes comprising 7.55 gigapixels, demonstrating the feasibility of the approach for gigapixel imaging of large tissues in short timeframes, such as would be needed for intraoperative imaging of tumor resection specimens.

Dynamical hologram generation for high speed optical trapping of smart droplet microtools

This paper demonstrates spatially selective sampling of the plasma membrane by the implementation of time-multiplexed holographic optical tweezers for Smart Droplet Microtools (SDMs). High speed (>1000fps) dynamical hologram generation was computed on the graphics processing unit of a standard display card and controlled by a user friendly LabView interface. Time multiplexed binary holograms were displayed in real time and mirrored to a ferroelectric Spatial Light Modulator. SDMs were manufactured with both liquid cores (as previously described) and solid cores, which confer significant advantages in terms of stability, polydispersity and ease of use. These were coated with a number of detergents, the most successful based upon lipids doped with transfection reagents. In order to validate these, trapped SDMs were maneuvered up to the plasma membrane of giant vesicles containing Nile Red and human biliary epithelial (BE) colon cancer cells with green fluorescent labeled protein (GFP)-labeled CAAX (a motif belonging to the Ras protein). Bright field and fluorescence images showed that successful trapping and manipulation of multiple SDMs in x, y, z was achieved with success rates of 30-50% and that subsequent membrane-SDM interactions led to the uptake of Nile Red or GFP-CAAX into the SDM.

Suppression of undesired diffraction orders of binary phase holograms

A method to remove undesired diffraction orders of computer-generated binary phase holograms is demonstrated. Normally, the reconstruction of binary Fourier holograms, made from just two phase levels, results in an undesired inverted image from the minus first diffraction order, which is superposed with the desired one. This can be avoided by reconstructing the hologram with a diffuse light field with a pseudorandom, but known, phase distribution, which is taken into account for the hologram computation. As a consequence, only the desired image is reconstructed, whereas all residual light is dispersed, propagating as a diffuse background wave. The method may be advantageous to employ ferroelectric spatial light modulators as holographic display devices, which can display only binary phase holograms, but which have the advantage of fast switching rates.

Design of a device with wavelength multiplexing and routing functions using dynamic holography on SLMs

This work describes the theory and design of a generic multipurpose device that can operate as a tunable wavelength filter, wavelength multiplexer and wavelength router. This device could be especially useful in optical network applications based in both coarse and dense wavelength division multiplexing technology. The enabling component is a ferroelectric liquid crystal spatial light modulator (SLM) where dynamic holograms are implemented in real time. As a consequence, the device will be able to carry out different functions according to the hologram recorded onto the SLM. The great advantage of this device is a polarization insensitivity operation, allowing low crosstalk and simple handling.

Time-Multiplexed Laguerre-Gaussian holographic optical tweezers for biological applications

A ferroelectric liquid crystal spatial light modulator is used to generate up to 24 independently controllable traps in a holographic optical tweezers system using time-multiplexed Fresnel zone plates. For use in biological applications, helical zone plates are used to generate Laguerre-Gaussian laser modes. The high speed switching of the ferroelectric device together with recent advances in computer technology enable fast, smooth movement of traps that can be independently controlled in real time. This is demonstrated by the trapping and manipulation of yeast cells and fungal spores.

Dynamic optical trap generation using FLC SLMs for the manipulation of cold atoms

Trapping and manipulation of cold atoms using optical potentials require the ability to generate and control a time varying light intensity distribution. Such an application demands that fast changing intensity distributions are generated, which are however free from flickering, or noise in general. Ferroelectric spatial light modulators are good candidates to achieve this because of their high refresh rate but they suffer from noise due to changes in the state of individual pixels during an animated sequence. A direct binary search based optimization routine was developed which minimizes the noise during such sequences. Filter sequences designed using this technique have been tested experimentally and the results demonstrated that flicker noise was eliminated.

Silicon Backplane Ferroelectric Liquid Crystal Spatial Light Modulator for Uses Within an Optical Telecommunications Environment

Liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) devices are ideal for uses as miniature light modulating elements. They can replace either transmissive LC (TFT) micro-displays or micro-mechanical MEMS and have been extensively used in display applications 1. Pioneering works have proposed adapting them to implement optical communication functions such as optical spatial switches 2, 3. For the first time to our knowledge, a industrial LCOS device has been specifically adapted for telecommunications uses only on a pre-industrial level. We discuss here the relevant specifications and present the optical performance of this preliminary “telco” LCOS prototype. The device is a silicon backplane SXGA ferroelectric liquid crystal spatial light modulator operating in the 1.5 μ m telecom wavelength range. It is used as the beam steering core of an optical free-space switch whose optical and system test results are also presented.

Modelling of binary phase modulation in surface stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal spatial light modulators

Modelling of binary phase modulation is required for optimal performance of ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLC) on silicon SLMs when used in coherent optical systems. This paper presents a modelling technique by which an HSpice model can be provided for characterization of phase modulation properties for designing FLC-on-silicon SLMs. The simulation and experimental measurements of phase modulation are described. For the theoretical model simulation, FLC parameter measurements are described. We experimentally verify the modelled prediction of phase modulation by investigating reflective FLC test cells. We have shown reasonable agreement within 9% between the measured and simulated values of phase modulation.

Full complex Fresnel holograms displayed on liquid crystal devices

We propose a method to display full complex Fresnel holograms by adding the information displayed on two analogue ferroelectric liquid crystal spatial light modulators. One of them works in real-only configuration and the other in imaginary-only mode. The Fresnel holograms are computed by backpropagating an object at a selected distance with the Fresnel transform. Then, displaying the real and imaginary parts on each panel, the object is reconstructed at that distance from the modulators by simple propagation of light. We present simulation results taking into account the specifications of the modulators as well as optical results. We have also studied the quality of reconstructions using only real, imaginary, amplitude or phase information. Although the real and imaginary reconstructions look acceptable for certain distances, full complex reconstruction is always better and is required when arbitrary distances are used.

Study on a lateral-electrical-field pixel architecture for FLC spatial light modulator with continuously tunable grayscales

A novel type of ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) pixel structure, in which a lateral electrical field is applied between slit-type electrodes, is proposed for ferroelectric spatial light modulator (SLM) in this brief. The novel FLC pixel architecture driven by a DRAM circuit is investigated with varied external fields, and its electrooptical property is shown as U-type curves, which implies the optical output is tunable by the applied lateral field. A numerical analysis, based on the continuum theory, corresponds well with the experiments and shows that unlike the in-plane switching process in nematic liquid crystals, the FLC molecules are rotated along their cone surface by external fields with a result of a continuously varied optical output, which promises this new pixel architecture for a ferroelectrical display with continuously tunable grayscales.

Dynamic complex wave-front modulation with an analog spatial light modulator

A method of producing an arbitrary complex field modulation by use of two pixels of an analog ferroelectric spatial light modulator (SLM) is demonstrated. The method uses the gray-scale modulation capabilities of a SLM to spatially encode the complex data on two pixels. A spatial filter is used to remove the carrier signal. This technique gives fast gray-level amplitude and phase modulation.

High capacity optical encryption system using ferro-electric spatial light modulators

We have implemented an optical system suitable for the high-speed encryption of digital data. Our approach uses polarization encoding of a wavefront in conjunction with ferro-electric spatial light modulators to produce a generic optical encryption and decryption system theoretically capable of operating at data communication rates. We present a detailed analysis of the polarization encoding technique and provide results from encryption and decryption experiments demonstrating that a pixel-to-pixel mapping approach provides a robust yet simple to implement architecture for optical encryption.

FLC optically addressed modulators for dynamic holographic correction of optical distortions

The possibility of polarization independent record of dynamic holograms in optically addressed ferroelectric liquid crystal spatial light modulators is discussed and studied in experiment.

A low cost adaptive optics system using a membrane mirror

A low cost adaptive optics system constructed almost entirely of commercially available components is presented. The system uses a 37 actuator membrane mirror and operates at frame rates up to 800Hz using a single processor. Numerical modelling of the membrane mirror is used to optimize parameters of the system. The dynamic performance of the system is investigated in detail using a diffractive wavefront generator based on a ferroelectric spatial light modulator. This is used to produce wavefronts with time-varying aberrations. The ability of the system to correct for Kolmogorov turbulence with different strengths and effective wind speeds is measured experimentally using the wavefront generator.

Binary phase-only <inline-formula>1/f</inline-formula> joint transform correlator using a ferroelectric liquid-crystal spatial light modulator

We present a new approach to implementing the joint trans- form correlator based on a single ferroelectric spatial light modulator used as a binary phase-only device. The correlator is a 1/f joint trans- form correlator that uses two passes through the optical system to gen- erate the correlation peaks. The input scene and reference image are encoded with a checkerboard pattern to produce a spectrum with no zero order. The spectrum is then convolutionally binarized and replayed on the same spatial light modulator. Experimental results demonstrate strong correlation peaks, with the zero order in the correlation plane reduced to 6 dB below the correlation peaks. The correlator also dem- onstrates enhanced differentiation between closely correlated images. © 1999 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. (S0091-3286(99)00202-0)