From 27 April to 8 August, Paolo Maran (PhD student at Politecnico di Milano) is undertaking a secondment at the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (IPHT) in Jena, Germany, working in the laboratory of Prof. Rainer Heintzmann as part of the nanoSCAN project.

The focus of this collaboration is the beta testing of our integrated photonic pattern generator for 2D and 3D Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM). SIM is a super-resolution imaging technique that uses a spatially modulated light pattern to excite sample fluorescence. This technique requires both pattern translations and rotations in order to obtain an isotropic resolution enhancement. The conventional methods that are used to perform this pattern manipulation are often slow, limiting acquisition speeds, or require expensive, delicate and alignment-sensitive optical elements.

To address these limitations, the nanoSCAN project has developed an integrated glass-based optical device fabricated by Femtosecond Laser Micromachining (FLM). The device incorporates waveguides arranged in a hexagonal configuration, enabling pattern generation, translation, and rotation without moving parts. By leveraging the unique three-dimensional fabrication capabilities of FLM, the technology offers a compact and robust alternative to traditional SIM pattern generation systems.

During the secondment, the device will be evaluated on standard microscopy platforms at IPHT to assess its performance for both 2D and 3D super-resolution imaging. This beta-testing phase represents an important step toward validating the technology in real-world microscopy applications and advancing integrated photonic solutions for high-performance imaging.

More info at https://nanoimaging.de/projects/nanoSCAN_integrated_SIM.html