Reconfigurable lightsheet microscopy using a superpixel-based digital micromirror device

In this thesis, a cost-effective and highly modular light sheet fluorescence microscope (LSFM) setup that can accommodate to different sample sizes is demonstrated. A digital micromirror device (DMD) is used in a Superpixel configuration conjugated with the sheet forming optics allowing independent control of both the amplitude and phase in creating the lightsheet. Arbitrary beam shaping enables a multitude of performance improvements such as chromatic correction, sheet optimization and tailoring, structured illumination microscopy (SIM) methods, fast mirrorless scanning and high adaptability to different imaging needs. Relative simplicity and lower cost aspects of the setup are also an advantage for research groups without optics experts with LSFM imaging needs. The Superpixel method extends the normally amplitude-only modulation capabilities of the DMD into arbitrary phase and amplitude modulation and is integrated into a conventional open-top setup. Non-diffracting Bessel and Airy beams requiring specific phase profiles are demonstrated with a scanning range of up to 180 um without additional scan optics along with the possibility of complex field control by using Zernike phase profiles. Simple switching between static and dynamic lightsheet modes ensure that modifications to the setup can be easily reverted without needing realignment. The demonstrated setup and design steps can be adjusted to demands of the sample, allow high-resolution imaging with fast dynamic control and can be combined with other techniques depending on the required performance metrics. In the spirit of the OpenSPIM project, the implementation and the material for constructing the setup along with used control software will be openly available online and free to use under the CC-BY-SA license.