Effect of polarized laser illumination on imaging contrast of multilayer thin film structure

Zhang Zijian; Wang Tianyi; Xu Xin; Wang Jixiang; Zhang Xin; Zhang Ruobing; Shi Guohua; Ye Hong

doi:10.12086/oee.2023.230089

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Zhang Z J, Wang T Y, Xu X, et al. Effect of polarized laser illumination on imaging contrast of multilayer thin film structure[J]. Opto-Electron Eng, 2023, 50(7): 230089. doi: 10.12086/oee.2023.230089

Citation:

Zhang Z J, Wang T Y, Xu X, et al. Effect of polarized laser illumination on imaging contrast of multilayer thin film structure[J]. Opto-Electron Eng, 2023, 50(7): 230089. doi: 10.12086/oee.2023.230089

Effect of polarized laser illumination on imaging contrast of multilayer thin film structure

1.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
2.
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Medical Optics, Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215163, China

Fund Project: Project supported by Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Fund (XDB32030205), and Leading Talents of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program in Suzhou (ZXL2022476)

More Information

^*Corresponding authors: ghshi_lab@sibet.ac.cn; hongye@sibet.ac.cn

Received Date 19 April 2023

Revised Date 06 June 2023

Accepted Date 09 June 2023

Published Date 20 August 2023

Abstract

Abstract

Optical multilayer interference tomography (OMLIT) is used in correlated light and electron microscopy to image a large field through an optical microscope, providing the navigation of the region of interest for later nanometer-resolution electron microscope imaging. In order to further improve the imaging contrast and positioning accuracy of thin film samples, a theoretical model combining polarization illumination and OMLIT is proposed. This model is written in the matrix formalism and the propagation of polarized light through different layers with various incident angles is simulated. The simulation results show that using the polarized light with an electric field oscillating parallel to the incidence plane (p-polarization) exhibits a much higher imaging contrast than the unpolarized light. Especially when the p-polarized light illuminates on an OMLIT sample, of which the first coating layer is Ag, with an incidence angle of 62°, the imaging contrast can be vastly enhanced by 138 times. The presented model provides a theoretical basis for polarization illumination OMLIT, pathing a new technical way for the development of the correlated light and electron microscopy technique.
- polarimetric imaging /
- matrix algorithm /
- multilayer thin film /
- optical multilayer interference tomography

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References

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Overview

Overview

Optical multilayer interference tomography (OMLIT) is an optical image technique that has an ultrathin sample film affixed on a multilayer structure to enhance the image contrast through light interference. This method is used in correlated light and electron microscopy to first image a large field through an optical microscope providing the navigation of the region of interest for later nanometer-resolution electron microscope imaging. Polarization imaging is widely used in biology to improve system resolution. In order to further improve the imaging contrast and positioning accuracy, a theoretical model of multilayer film polarization imaging is proposed by combining polarization illumination and OMLIT.

At first, taking the metal coating of Fe material as an example, the matrix formalism theoretical model is used to calculate the imaging contrast of multilayer film samples under the illumination of polarized light in two orthogonal directions and unpolarized light. The simulation results show that using the polarized light with an electric field oscillating parallel to the incidence plane (p-polarization) exhibits a much higher imaging contrast than the unpolarized light. This phenomenon can be qualitatively explained by the Fresnel function, which describes the difference in reflectivity and refractivity of two orthogonally polarized lights illumination under different angles. The matrix formalism theoretical model can accurately calculate the effects of the thickness of each film layer and the interference of reflected light between multilayer films. Subsequently, the model is used to simulate nine different metal coatings. The results show that, with the slices of biological samples being unchanged, the imaging contrast increases initially and then remains stable. This phenomenon is related to the imaginary part of the metal refractive index. After the thickness of the metal exceeds 50 nm, the light beam is completely absorbed within the metal coating, hence increasing the thickness no longer causes a change in imaging contrast. Among the nine types of coatings, the Ag coating provided the best imaging contrast. With an incidence angle of 62°, the imaging contrast is vastly enhanced by 138 times. Finally, the effects of tape and substrate are simulated, and the results showed that the imaging contrast in the multilayer films remained unchanged regardless of whether tape and substrate are present or not when the metal coating material is Fe. This indicates that the enhancement effect of tape and substrate on the imaging contrast in the polarized OMLIT model is relatively small.

The presented model provides a theoretical basis for polarization illumination OMLIT, pathing a new technical way for the development of the correlated light and electron microscopy technique.