title: Propagation stability of self-reconstructing Bessel beams enables contrast-enhanced imaging in thick media.
abstract: Laser beams that can self-reconstruct their initial beam profile even in the presence of massive phase perturbations are able to propagate deeper into inhomogeneous media. This ability has crucial advantages for light sheet-based microscopy in thick media, such as cell clusters, embryos, skin or brain tissue or plants, as well as scattering synthetic materials. A ring system around the central intensity maximum of a Bessel beam enables its self-reconstruction, but at the same time illuminates out-of-focus regions and deteriorates image contrast. Here we present a detection method that minimizes the negative effect of the ring system. The beam's propagation stability along one straight line enables the use of a confocal line principle, resulting in a significant increase in image contrast. The axial resolution could be improved by nearly 100% relative to the standard light-sheet techniques using scanned Gaussian beams, while demonstrating self-reconstruction also for high propagation depths.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Bio- and Nano-Photonics, Department of Microsystems Engineering, University of Freiburg, Georges-Koehler-Allee 102, Freiburg 79110, Germany. rohrbach@imtek.de
authors.forename: Florian O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Fahrbach
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rohrbach