Enhancing DHM performance with innovative volume diffractive optics for enlarging the range of applications and market.

• Forschungsstelle: INNOSUISSE
• Projektnummer: 13366.1;9 PFFLE-NM
• Projekttitel Englisch: Enhancing DHM performance with innovative volume diffractive optics for enlarging the range of applications and market.

Kurzbeschreibung (Englisch)

Enhancing DHM performance with innovative volume diffractive optics for enlarging the range of applications and market.

Kurzbeschreibung (Französisch)

Enhancing DHM performance with innovative volume diffractive optics for enlarging the range of applications and market.

Abstract (Englisch)

Lyncée Tec SA develops, produces and sells Digital Holographic Microscopes (DHM). The technology is patented, and has been developed in close cooperation with the University of Lausanne and EPFL. Lyncée is the worldwide leader on the microscopy market with the digital holographic technology. Volume Diffractive Optical Elements (VDOE) can solve an important drawback associated with the so called ¿off axis configuration¿ which presently limits the performance of DHM systems. Without a VDOE, the coherence plane is not perpendicular to the optical axis, but has a few degree tilt with which severely limits the field of view of the microscope. Correction of this tilt by a VDOE would directly improve acquisition speed, range, resolution and accuracy. It also enables new analysis modules, for instance reflectometry for thin films characterization. In both cases, solutions to this issue would enlarge the competitiveness and the market size of DHM, and increase technological advance of Lyncée Tec. It would also speed up the replacement of traditional and well implanted alternative techniques by DHM systems. Preliminary work has been performed to demonstrate the principle of coherence tilt correction using VDOE, but technical issues still need to be addressed for implementation of this technique in the production of DHMs. It is the main objective of this project to solve these technical issues. Additionally, coherence plane tilt correction by a suitable VDOE may also enable the use of short coherence light sources such as LEDs. If demonstrated, it opens the door for DHM modules to be mounted on traditional optical microscope in much the same way as the addition of a digital camera to a microscope. The scientific and technical evaluation of this opportunity is another objective of the project.

Abstract (Französisch)

Lyncée Tec SA develops, produces and sells Digital Holographic Microscopes (DHM). The technology is patented, and has been developed in close cooperation with the University of Lausanne and EPFL. Lyncée is the worldwide leader on the microscopy market with the digital holographic technology. Volume Diffractive Optical Elements (VDOE) can solve an important drawback associated with the so called ¿off axis configuration¿ which presently limits the performance of DHM systems. Without a VDOE, the coherence plane is not perpendicular to the optical axis, but has a few degree tilt with which severely limits the field of view of the microscope. Correction of this tilt by a VDOE would directly improve acquisition speed, range, resolution and accuracy. It also enables new analysis modules, for instance reflectometry for thin films characterization. In both cases, solutions to this issue would enlarge the competitiveness and the market size of DHM, and increase technological advance of Lyncée Tec. It would also speed up the replacement of traditional and well implanted alternative techniques by DHM systems. Preliminary work has been performed to demonstrate the principle of coherence tilt correction using VDOE, but technical issues still need to be addressed for implementation of this technique in the production of DHMs. It is the main objective of this project to solve these technical issues. Additionally, coherence plane tilt correction by a suitable VDOE may also enable the use of short coherence light sources such as LEDs. If demonstrated, it opens the door for DHM modules to be mounted on traditional optical microscope in much the same way as the addition of a digital camera to a microscope. The scientific and technical evaluation of this opportunity is another objective of the project.