Random scattering and aberrations severely limit the imaging depth in optical microscopy. We introduce a rapid, parallel wavefront compensation technique that efficiently compensates even highly complex phase distortions. Using coherence gated backscattered light as a feedback signal, we focus light deep inside highly scattering brain tissue. We demonstrate that the same wavefront optimization technique can also be used to compensate spectral phase distortions in ultrashort laser pulses using nonlinear iterative feedback. We can restore transform limited pulse durations at any selected target location and compensate for dispersion that has occurred in the optical train and within the sample.

Date Published: 22 February 2013
PDF: 6 pages
Proc. SPIE 8589, Three-Dimensional and Multidimensional Microscopy: Image Acquisition and Processing XX, 85890V (22 February 2013); doi: 10.1117/12.2001121

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8589:
Three-Dimensional and Multidimensional Microscopy: Image Acquisition and Processing XX
Carol J. Cogswell; Thomas G. Brown; Jose-Angel Conchello; Tony Wilson, Editor(s)