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Microscopy with extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light can provide many advantages over optical, hard x-ray or electron-based techniques. However, traditional EUV sources and optics have large disadvantages of scale and cost. Here, we demonstrate the use of a laboratory-scale, coherent EUV source to image biological samples-mouse hippocampal neurons-providing quantitative phase and amplitude transmission information with a lateral resolution of 80 nm and an axial sensitivity of ~1 nm. A comparison with fluorescence imaging of the same samples demonstrated EUV imaging was able to identify, without the need for staining or superresolution techniques, <100-nm-wide and <10-nm-thick structures not observable from the fluorescence images. Unlike hard x-ray microscopy, no damage is observed of the delicate neuron structure. The combination of previously demonstrated tomographic imaging techniques with the latest advances in laser technologies and coherent EUV sources has the potential for high-resolution element-specific imaging within biological structures in 3D., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC BY).)

Ptychographic Coherent diffractive imaging (PCDI) is a significant advance in imaging allowing the measurement of the full electric field at a sample without use of any imaging optics. So far it has been confined solely to imaging of linear optical responses. In this paper we show that because of the coherence-preserving nature of nonlinear optical interactions, PCDI can be generalised to nonlinear optical imaging. We demonstrate second harmonic generation PCDI, directly revealing phase information about the nonlinear coefficients, and showing the general applicability of PCDI to nonlinear interactions.

Ptychography is a scanning coherent diffractive imaging (CDI) technique that relies upon a high level of stability of the illumination during the course of an experiment. This is particularly an issue for coherent short wavelength sources, where the beam intensity is usually tightly focused on the sample in order to maximize the photon flux density on the illuminated region of the sample and thus a small change in the beam position results in a significant change in illumination of the sample. We present an improved ptychographic method that allows for limited stability of the illumination wavefront and thus significantly improve the reconstruction quality without additional prior knowledge. We have tested our reconstruction method in a proof of concept experiment, where the beam instability of a visible light source was emulated using a piezo driven mirror, and also in a short wavelength microscopy CDI setup using a high harmonic generation source in the extreme ultraviolet range. Our work shows a natural extension of the ptychography method that paves the way to use ptychographic imaging with any limited pointing stability coherent source such as free electron or soft X-ray lasers and improve reconstruction quality of long duration synchrotron experiments.

Electronic Laboratory Notebooks (ELNs) are progressively replacing traditional paper books in both commercial research establishments and academic institutions. University researchers require specific features from ELNs, given the need to promote cross-institutional collaborative working, to enable the sharing of procedures and results, and to facilitate publication. The LabTrove ELN, which we use as our exemplar, was designed to be researcher-centric ( i.e. , not only aimed at the individual researcher's basic needs rather than to a specific institutional or subject or disciplinary agenda, but also able to be tailored because it is open source). LabTrove is being used in a heterogeneous set of academic laboratories, for a range of purposes, including analytical chemistry, X-ray studies, drug discovery and a biomaterials project. Researchers use the ELN for recording experiments, preserving data collected, and for project coordination. This perspective article describes the experiences of those researchers from several viewpoints, demonstrating how a web-based open source electronic notebook can meet the diverse needs of academic researchers.

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy is applied for the first time for the evaluation of the protein secondary structure of polyglutamine (polyQ) aggregates in vivo. Our approach demonstrates the potential for translating information about protein structure that has been obtained in vitro by X-ray diffraction into a microscopy technique that allows the same protein structure to be detected in vivo. For these studies, fibres of polyQ containing peptides (D(2)Q(15)K(2)) were assembled in vitro and examined by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction methods; the fibril structure was shown to be cross β-sheet. The same polyQ fibres were evaluated by Raman spectroscopy and this further confirmed the β-sheet structure, but indicated that the structure is highly rigid, as indicated by the strong Amide I signal at 1659 cm(-1). CARS spectra were simulated using the Raman spectrum taking into account potential non-resonant contributions, providing evidence that the Amide I signal remains strong, but slightly shifted to lower wavenumbers. Combined CARS (1657 cm(-1)) and multi-photon fluorescence microscopy of chimeric fusions of yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) with polyQ (Q40) expressed in the body wall muscle cells of Caenorhabditis elegans nematodes (1 day old adult hermaphrodites) revealed diffuse and foci patterns of Q40-YFP that were both fluorescent and exhibited stronger CARS (1657 cm(-1)) signals than in surrounding tissues at the resonance for the cross β-sheet polyQ in vitro.

Gas jets used as sources for high harmonic generation (HHG) have a complex three-dimensional density and velocity profile. This paper describes how the profile influences the generation of extreme-UV light. As the position of the laser focus is varied along the jet flow axis, we show that the intensity of the output radiation varies by approximately three times, with the highest flux being observed when the laser is focused into the Mach disc. The work demonstrated here will aid in the optimization of HHG flux from gas jet sources. The flux increase is attributed to a density increase within the structure of the jet, which is confirmed by simultaneous imaging of atom and ion fluorescence from the jet., (© 2011 Optical Society of America)

Accurate three-dimensional modelling of nonlinear pulse propagation within a gas-filled capillary is essential for understanding and improving the XUV yield in high harmonic generation. We introduce both a new model based on a multimode generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation and a novel spatio-spectral measurement technique to which the model can be compared. The theory shows excellent agreement with the measured output spectrum and the spatio-spectral measurement reveals that the model correctly predicts higher order mode contributions to spectral broadening of the pulse. Fluorescence from the excited argon is used to verify the predicted ion distribution along the capillary.

Multimode nonlinear pulse propagation within a Ta(2)O(5) rectangular rib waveguide has been numerically simulated. The study provides information relating to both the localized spectral evolution along the waveguide and the transverse spectral variation across the guide. The results explain measurements from our previous near-field scanning microscopy experiments that were designed to map continuum generation along and across such waveguides, and that deviated significantly from simple theory. The simulations predict an increased nonlinear phase modulation compared to that occurring in nonlinear single-mode waveguides, due to intermodal nonlinear effects such as cross-phase modulation, leading to an enhanced spectral broadening.

A technologically important use of the free-space interference patterns formed by phase gratings is in the creation of the refractive-index variation along optical fiber Bragg gratings. The patterns can be imaged directly by use of a tapered optical fiber tip, which acts as a local probe of the optical field. We present measurements of these patterns under varying conditions and compare them with theoretical predictions. In discussing the results within the context of fiber grating manufacture, we also demonstrate the effects of incident-beam misalignment and wave-front curvature.

Absorption and fluorescence spectra of Nd3 +were measured in potassium tantalum gallate, lead bismuth gallate (PBG), fluorozirconate (ZBLAN), and Ge-Ga-S glasses. A Judd -Ofelt analysis was performed to determine the spontaneous emission probability and stimulated emission cross section of the4 F3/2 ?4 I11/2 transition of Nd3 +. Raman spectra were studied to clarify the maximum phonon energies of the glasses. The fluorescence of the1 G4?3 H5 transition of Pr3 + in a dehydrated PBG glass was observed for the first time to our knowledge. The PBG glass has a higher quantum efficiency than that of ZBLAN glass based on the Judd -Ofelt analysis.