Photon-counting three-dimensional fluorescence imaging based on the transport of intensity equation.

A transport of intensity equation (TIE) based three-dimensional (3D) fluorescence imaging using photon-counting detection was proposed for low light-level bioimaging applications. The number of photons required to achieve the quantitative phase measurement using the proposed system was investigated experimentally and numerically. Results show that the feasibility of reconstructing phase information with an average number of photons is greater than about 9 per pixel in our plant cells.

Generation of arbitrary vector vortex beams on a higher-order Poincaré sphere using a double-exposure polarization-multiplexed hologram.

The existing methods for the generation of arbitrary vector vortex beams often involve complex optical setups or intricate fabrication methods. In this Letter, we propose a novel, to the best of our knowledge, and simplified approach for the efficient generation of vector vortex beams using a polarization-multiplexed hologram fabricated on an azo-carbazole polymer using a simple double-exposure technique. The hologram generates a vector vortex beam when simply illuminated by a collimated beam and also allows for a seamless traversal across the entire higher-order Poincaré sphere (arbitrary vortex beam generation) just by modulating the polarization of an illuminating beam.

Multiple motion picture recording in light-in-flight recording by holography with an angular multiplexing technique.

Light-in-flight recording by holography (LIF holography) is an ultrafast imaging technique for recording light pulse propagation as a motion picture. In this study, we propose and demonstrate multiple motion picture recordings of light pulse propagation by use of LIF holography with angular multiplexing. We set incident angles of reference light pulses to remove the difficulty in adjusting the optical path length difference between an object light pulse and reference light pulses and the complexity of the optical system.

Three-dimensional dynamic measurement of unstable temperature fields by multi-view single-shot phase-shifting digital holography.

A multi-view phase measurement system based on single-shot phase-shifting digital holography is proposed to dynamically obtain three-dimensional (3-D) information of an unstable temperature field. The proposed system consists of a laser, three polarization imaging cameras, and the corresponding optical components. The laser beam emitted from the laser is separated by the fibers into three pairs that contain three object beams and three reference beams.

Ultrafast double motion-picture recording technique for propagating light pulses with an ultrashort time difference.

Ultrafast imaging techniques involving light propagation, which can record light-pulse propagation as a motion picture, are commonly applied in various fields. However, conventional ultrafast imaging techniques cannot obtain multiple motion- pictures with an ultrashort time difference. In this Letter, we propose an imaging technique to obtain double motion-pictures of propagating light pulses with an ultrashort time difference.

Simultaneous imaging of sound propagations and spatial distribution of acoustic frequencies.

We propose a simultaneous imaging technique of both sound propagations and spatial distribution of acoustic frequencies. We experimentally demonstrated the proposed technique for the acoustic waves of frequencies 39,500 and 40,500 Hz, which have close sound pressure. The sounds were recorded at the framerate of 100,000 fps by parallel phase-shifting digital holography.

Motion picture of magnified light pulse propagation with extending recordable time of digital light-in-flight holography.

We experimentally demonstrate a motion picture imaging technique that can record a magnified image of light pulse propagation with extending the recordable time of digital light-in-flight recording by holography. We constructed an optical system that achieves a recordable time extension and an observation of a magnified image of light pulse propagation. As a result, we experimentally succeeded in recording light pulse propagation with a 7.

FFT-based simulation of the hologram-recording process for light-in-flight recording by holography.

We propose a numerical simulation method of the hologram-recording process for light-in-flight recording by holography (LIF holography) based on fast Fourier transform (FFT) to improve the efficiency of the simulation. Because it is crucial to consider the difference in the optical-path length between the object and reference light pulses, we modify a point-spread function by considering the optical-path lengths of the object and reference light pulses and whether both pulses interfere with each other in LIF holography. The computational time was shortened by 5.

Spatiotemporal observation of light propagation in a three-dimensional scattering medium.

Spatiotemporal information about light pulse propagation obtained with femtosecond temporal resolution plays an important role in understanding transient phenomena and light-matter interactions. Although ultrafast optical imaging techniques have been developed, it is still difficult to capture light pulse propagation spatiotemporally. Furthermore, imaging through a three-dimensional (3-D) scattering medium is a longstanding challenge due to the optical scattering caused by the interaction between light pulse and a 3-D scattering medium.

Influence of the lateral size of a hologram on the reconstructed image in digital light-in-flight recording by holography.

Digital light-in-flight recording by holography is a promising technique for observing a propagating ultrashort light pulse as a motion picture. A typical reconstruction process of digital light-in-flight recording by holography, we extract holograms without considering the relationship between the lateral size of the extracted hologram (sub-hologram) and the size of an area where the propagating ultrashort light pulse and an image sensor overlap. The area records the image of the ultrashort light pulse at a certain moment.

Multimodal sound field imaging using digital holography [Invited].

Sound is an important invisible physical phenomenon that needs to be explained in several physical and biological processes, along with visual phenomena. For this purpose, multiparameter digital holography (DH) has been proposed to visualize both features simultaneously due to the phase and amplitude reconstruction properties of DH. In this paper, we present a brief review on sound field imaging techniques with special focus on the multiparameter imaging capability of DH for visualizing sound and visual features.

Special Series Guest Editorial: Biomedical Imaging and Sensing III.

Guest editors Toyohiko Yatagai, Osamu Matoba, Yoshihisa Aizu, Yasuhiro Awatsuji, and Yuan Luo introduce the articles in the Special Series on Biomedical Imaging and Sensing.

Single-shot common-path off-axis digital holography: applications in bioimaging and optical metrology [Invited].

The demand for single-shot and common-path holographic systems has become increasingly important in recent years, as such systems offer various advantages compared to their counterparts. Single-shot holographic systems, for example, reduce computational complexity as only a single hologram with the object information required to process, making them more suitable for the investigation of dynamic events; and common-path holographic systems are less vibration-sensitive, compact, inexpensive, and high in temporal phase stability. We have developed a single-shot common-path off-axis digital holographic setup based on a beam splitter and pinhole.

High-speed imaging of the sound field by parallel phase-shifting digital holography.

Sound field imaging techniques have been found very useful for acoustic designs. Building on this idea, innovative techniques are needed and presented in this paper, where we report on developed imaging of the sound field radiated from speakers by parallel phase-shifting digital holography. We adopted an ultrasonic wave radiated from a speaker for an object.

Modularized microscope based on parallel phase-shifting digital holography for imaging of living biospecimens.

Significance: Parallel phase-shifting digital holographic microscope (PPSDHM) is powerful for three-dimensional (3D) measurements of dynamic specimens. However, the PPSDHM reported previously was directly fixed on the optical bench and imposed difficulties case, thus it is required to modify the specification of the microscope or transport the microscope to another location.

Aim: We present a modularized PPSDHM.

Single-shot common-path off-axis dual-wavelength digital holographic microscopy.

A single-shot common-path off-axis self-interference dual-wavelength digital holographic microscopic (DHM) system based on a cube beam splitter is demonstrated to expand the phase range in a stepped microstructure and for simultaneous measurement of the refractive index and physical thickness of a specimen. In the system, two laser beams with wavelengths of 532 nm and 632.8 nm are used.

Digital Holographic Multimodal Cross-Sectional Fluorescence and Quantitative Phase Imaging System.

We present a multimodal imaging system based on simple off-axis digital holography, for simultaneous recording and retrieval of cross-sectional fluorescence and quantitative phase imaging of the biological specimen. Synergism in the imaging capabilities can be achieved by incorporating two off-axis digital holographic microscopes integrated to record different information at the same time. The cross-sectional fluorescence imaging is realized by a common-path configuration of the single-shot off-axis incoherent digital holographic system.

Motion-picture recording of ultrafast behavior of polarized light incident at Brewster's angle.

Observing light propagation plays an important role in clarifying ultrafast phenomena occurring on femtosecond to picosecond time scales. In particular, observing the ultrafast behavior of polarized light is useful for various fields. We have developed a technique based on Polarization Light-in-Flight Holography, which can record light propagation as a motion picture that can provide information about the polarization direction.

Special Section Guest Editorial: Biomedical Imaging and Sensing II.

Guest editors introduce the special section of Journal of Biomedical Optics Volume 25, Issue 3, entitled "Biomedical Imaging and Sensing II," a collection of papers related to the topics of the conference "Biomedical Imaging and Sensing Conference 2019" (BISC'19), which was held in April 2019, in Yokohama, Japan.

Three-dimensional fluorescence imaging using the transport of intensity equation.

We propose a nonscanning three-dimensional (3-D) fluorescence imaging technique using the transport of intensity equation (TIE) and free-space Fresnel propagation. In this imaging technique, a phase distribution corresponding to defocused fluorescence images with a point-light-source-like shape is retrieved by a TIE-based phase retrieval algorithm. From the obtained phase distribution, and its corresponding amplitude distribution, of the defocused fluorescence image, various images at different distances can be reconstructed at the desired plane after Fresnel propagation of the complex wave function.

Holographic multi-parameter imaging of dynamic phenomena with visual and audio features.

In this Letter, a concept of new multi-parameter imaging that can acquire visual and audio data of dynamic object phenomena simultaneously by a holographic technique is proposed. Temporal intensity distributions give us visual information of the dynamic events. The temporal profile of the phase distribution can give different information of the dynamic events, such as audio data.

Three-dimensional stimulation and imaging-based functional optical microscopy of biological cells.

A new type of functional optical microscope system called three-dimensional (3D) stimulation and imaging-based functional optical microscopy (SIFOM) is proposed, to the best of our knowledge. SIFOM can precisely stimulate user-defined targeted biological cells and can simultaneously record the volumetric fluorescence distribution in a single acquisition. Precise and simultaneous stimulation of fluorescent-labeled biological cells is achieved by multiple 3D spots generated by digital holograms displayed on a phase-mode spatial light modulator.