title: Efficient generation of diffraction-limited multi-sheet pattern for biological imaging.
abstract: We demonstrate a new technique to generate multiple light-sheets for fluorescence microscopy. This is possible by illuminating the cylindrical lens using multiple copies of Gaussian beams. A diffraction grating placed just before the cylindrical lens splits the incident Gaussian beam into multiple beams traveling at different angles. Subsequently, this gives rise to diffraction-limited light-sheets after the Gaussian beams pass through the combined cylindrical lens-objective sub-system. Direct measurement of field at and around the focus of objective lens shows multi-sheet pattern with an average thickness of 7.5 μm and inter-sheet separation of 380 μm. Employing an independent orthogonal detection sub-system, we successfully imaged fluorescently-coated yeast cells (≈4  μm) encaged in agarose gel-matrix. Such a diffraction-limited sheet-pattern equipped with dedicated detection system may find immediate applications in the field of optical microscopy and fluorescence imaging.
authors: Partha Pratim
authors: PP
authors: Mondal
authors: Shilpa
authors: S
authors: Dilipkumar
authors: Kavya
authors: K
authors: Mohan
mesh_terms: D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D016011:Normal Distribution; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000166:cytology