Advanced Photonics, Volume. 7, Issue 4, 046006(2025)

High-resolution and wide-field microscopic imaging with a monolithic meta-doublet under annular illumination

Jiacheng Sun1...2,†, Wenjing Shen1, Junyi Wang1,2, Rongtao Yu1,2, Jian Li1, Chunyu Huang1, Xin Ye1, Zhaoyu Cheng2, Jiefu Yu2, Peng Wang2, Chen Chen1,*, Shining Zhu1 and Tao Li1,* |Show fewer author(s)
Author Affiliations
  • 1Nanjing University, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and Manipulation, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, Nanjing, China
  • 2MetaCV Technology Co., Ltd., Nanjing, China
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    Figures & Tables(6)
    Schematic of the meta-microscope based on metalens doublet and annular illumination. The optimized doublet enlarges the FOV and the annular illumination improves the resolution. Inset is the implemented meta-microscope prototype in a very compact form.
    Optical design of the metalens doublet. (a) Ray tracing simulation schematic diagram of the metalens doublet of 150 μm FOV at the working wavelength of 470 nm. The diameters of the metalens-I and metalens-II are 450 and 240 μm, located on both sides of a 500-μm-thick fused silica substrate. The blue, green, and red optical paths and spot diagrams correspond to object heights of 0, 40, and 75 μm, respectively. (b) The optimized phase profiles of the metalens-I (red) and metalens-II (blue). (c) Calculated PSFs of the metalens doublet at different object heights, with the PSFs of the single-layer metalens at varied object heights included at the bottom for comparison. Scale bar is 10 μm. Calculated MTFs of different object heights of (d) the metalens doublet and (e) single metalens, respectively.
    Characterization of the metalens doublet. (a) Phase and transmittance of meta-atoms with 12 different structural parameters, simulated by FDTD solutions. The sizes (in nanometers) of the nano-fins are marked along the phase distribution line. (b) Schematic of a single unit cell, the width and length of the nano fins are 90 nm and 230 nm, respectively. (c) Optical and top-view scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of the fabricated SiNx metalenses. Scale bar is 75 μm and 300 nm, respectively. (d) Annular oblique lighting can expand the spectrum pass-band so that high-frequency information can be received, thus improving the resolution. (e) Schematic drawing of the measurement setup.
    Microscopic imaging performance. (a) Image of the whole FOV captured by the CMOS. Scale bar is 15 μm. (b) Image of resolution detail captured by the CMOS in the case of annular illumination. Element 5, group 10 can be recognized, indicating a resolution up to 310 nm. (c) Resolution characterization at object heights (i.e., distance from the optical axis) of 20, 40, 55, and 70 μm. (d) Normalized intensity profiles of the vertical line pairs corresponding to the achievable resolution, where the highest-resolution features are highlighted with solid curves.
    Meta-microscope prototype and its application in bio-diagnostics. (a) Photographic image of the meta-microscope prototype, along with the optical and top-view SEM images of the fabricated illumination metasurface. Scale bar is 400 μm and 500 nm for the optical and SEM images, respectively. (b) Images of the USAF resolution test chart taken with the metalens microscope. Scale bar is 100 μm. (c) Images of the cervical cancer cells. Scale bar is 80 μm. Area 1: normal cell with nuclei approximately several micrometers in size. Area 2: pathological cell with significantly increased nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio. Area 3: pathological cell whose nuclei begin to divide. Scale bar is 10 μm for enlarged areas 1–3.
    Parameters and performance of some meta-based microscopes reported.
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    Jiacheng Sun, Wenjing Shen, Junyi Wang, Rongtao Yu, Jian Li, Chunyu Huang, Xin Ye, Zhaoyu Cheng, Jiefu Yu, Peng Wang, Chen Chen, Shining Zhu, Tao Li, "High-resolution and wide-field microscopic imaging with a monolithic meta-doublet under annular illumination," Adv. Photon. 7, 046006 (2025)

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    Paper Information

    Category: Research Articles

    Received: Feb. 11, 2025

    Accepted: Apr. 28, 2025

    Posted: Apr. 28, 2025

    Published Online: May. 28, 2025

    The Author Email: Chen Chen (chenchen2021@nju.edu.cn), Tao Li (taoli@nju.edu.cn)

    DOI:10.1117/1.AP.7.4.046006

    CSTR:32187.14.1.AP.7.4.046006

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