Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Deepankur Thureja, Atac Imamoglu, Tomasz Smolenski, Ivan Amelio, Alexander Popert, Thibault Chervy, Xiaobo Lu, Song Liu, Katayun Barmak, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, David J. Norris, Martin Kroner, Puneet A. Murthy
Summary: This study demonstrates electrically controlled quantum confinement of neutral excitons in 2D semiconductors, achieving confinement below 10 nm. The technique provides an experimental route towards creating scalable arrays of identical single-photon sources and has wide-ranging implications for realizing strongly correlated photonic phases and on-chip optical quantum information processors.
Article
Optics
Chenglong Wang, Xiang Guo, Xidong Wu
Summary: This paper proposes and investigates a graphene plasmonic lens with an electrically tunable focal length. By controlling the gate voltage of graphene, the lens can be continuously tuned from a Maxwell Fisheye lens to a Luneburg lens, and excellent focusing performances are achieved.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Eva A. A. Pogna, Andrea Tomadin, Osman Balci, Giancarlo Soavi, Ioannis Paradisanos, Michele Guizzardi, Paolo Pedrinazzi, Sandro Mignuzzi, Klaas-Jan Tielrooij, Marco Polini, Andrea C. Ferrari, Giulio Cerullo
Summary: The ability to tune the optical response of single layer graphene via electrostatic gating is crucial for optoelectronic applications.
Article
Optics
Khuong Duy Mac, Muhammad Mohsin Qureshi, Myeongsu Na, Sunghoe Chang, Tae Joong Eom, Hyunsoo Shawn Je, Young Ro Kim, Hyuk-Sang Kwon, Euiheon Chung
Summary: This study demonstrates the implementation of an electrically tunable lens (ETL) in line-scan confocal microscopy (LSCM) for rapid volumetric imaging, allowing for better understanding of dynamic biological processes.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Shengfu Li, Yu Zhao, Weifent Wen, Yuncan Ma, Shouxian Liu, Guanghua Chen, Yan Ye
Summary: We present a simple and robust calibration approach for axial-scanning microscopy using an electrically tunable lens (ETL). By capturing multiple images at different ETL currents and evaluating their sharpness, we calibrate the dependence of the axial focus shift on the ETL current. Additionally, we measure the period of repeating lines in the captured images to calibrate the dependence of microscope magnification on the ETL current. This approach enables simultaneous calibration of axial focus shift and magnification, without the need for mechanical scanning.
MICROSCOPY RESEARCH AND TECHNIQUE
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
O. leksandr Sova, Vladimir Presniakov, Armen Zohrabyan, Seydou Bassene, Mihai Cotovanu, Aram Bagramyan, Behzad Khodadad, Tigran Galstian
Summary: A 30 mm diameter electrically tunable liquid crystal lens based on the refractive Fresnel concept is presented. It shows a relatively large optical power variation range and low aberrations. Optical characterizations confirm its potential for good vision recovery.
BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Yu-Feng Chien, Jyun-Yi Lin, Po-Ting Yeh, Kuo-Jen Hsu, Yu-Hsuan Tsai, Shih-Kuo Chen, Shi-Wei Chu
Summary: By integrating GRIN and TAG lenses into 2PM, this study has significantly improved penetration depth and volume-imaging rate, allowing the study of neural connections and activities in deep-brain regions with high spatiotemporal resolution.
BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS
(2021)
Article
Optics
Zhanna Zemska, Tigran Galstian
Summary: This electrically tunable liquid crystal lens can generate a variety of wavefronts and has a simplified manufacturing process and multiple driving modes, making it promising for revolutionary applications in fields such as miniature cameras and microscopes.
Article
Optics
Kuangwei DU, Dakai Zhou, Sijia Zhou, Jinfeng Zhang, Qingqing Liu, Xuejian Bai, Qiulan Liu, Youhua Chen, Wenjie Liu, Cuifang Kuang
Summary: This paper presents a quasi-confocal microscopy autofocus system that incorporates an electrically tunable lens (ETL) for achieving differential detection. The ETL changes its focal length to collect differential curves at speeds <300 Hz, enabling selective locking onto desired focal layers and high-speed differential operations near the locked focal plane. By segmenting the system's pupil, the interference between the outgoing and incoming near-infrared beams is eliminated, resulting in a significant improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio. This ultra-sensitive system offers a new implementation pathway, providing a focus drift accuracy better than 1/22 focal depth (& SIM;20 nm @100x objective), which meets the requirements of various microscopy techniques.
Article
Optics
Justin Stevens, Tigran Galstian
Summary: This article describes the design and operational principle of a new electrically tunable gradient index liquid crystal lens. The lens utilizes linear serpentine electrodes and does not require a semiconductor layer. Experimental results demonstrate that a lens with a 2 mm clear aperture has an optical power of 9.5 diopters and a root-mean-square wave-front error of 0.16 μm. The lens is tested with a miniature camera and the improvement in image quality is experimentally demonstrated.
Review
Cell Biology
Christoforos Efstathiou, Viji M. Draviam
Summary: Electrically tunable lenses (ETLs) are liquid lenses with shape-changing capabilities that enable fast focusing and have been applied in various cell biology studies. Despite being cost-effective, ETLs are a powerful contender for high-speed three-dimensional imaging in the millisecond regime.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ana Sanchez-Grande, Huu Chuong Nguyen, Koen Lauwaet, Jonathan Rodriguez-Fernandez, Esther Carrasco, Borja Cirera, Zhaozong Sun, Jose Ignacio Urgel, Rodolfo Miranda, Jeppe Lauritsen, Jose M. Gallego, Nuria Lopez, David Ecija
Summary: The structural and electronic properties of CoO nanoislands grown on Au(111) were studied using scanning probe microscopy and density functional theory. Two distinct phases were observed, and the effects of surface registry on the compression of the oxide adlayer and water adsorption were revealed. Additionally, the use of external voltage pulses can modify the phases, suggesting a potential method to control the structure and reactivity of transition metal oxides.
Article
Optics
Yingjie Liu, You Wu, Jiefeng Xu, Shumin Xiao, Qinghai Song, Ke Xu
Summary: This study proposes a free-form functional microheater with topology design to manipulate the refractive index distribution, enabling flexible optical wavefront shaping. Wide range of dynamic focusing and beam steering are demonstrated with a tunable meta-lens on a silicon photonic platform. The proposed tunable meta-lenses have fast thermal-optic response time and low on-chip loss, offering versatility for various on-chip meta-systems.
LASER & PHOTONICS REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Yuan Luo, Ming Lun Tseng, Sunil Vyas, Ting-Yu Hsieh, Jui-Ching Wu, Shang-Yang Chen, Hsiao-Fang Peng, Vin-Cent Su, Tzu-Ting Huang, Hsin Yu Kuo, Cheng Hung Chu, Mu Ku Chen, Jia-Wern Chen, Yu-Chun Chen, Kuang-Yuh Huang, Chieh-Hsiung Kuan, Xu Shi, Hiroaki Misawa, Din Ping Tsai
Summary: Light-sheet fluorescent microscopy (LSFM) is the leading technique for in vivo imaging in the fields of disease, medicine, and cell biology research. This study demonstrates the successful integration of a nanophotonic meta-lens as the illumination component for LSFM, addressing the challenges of high image resolution and optical sectioning. With the meta-lens, the LSFM system complexity is significantly reduced, enabling multicolor fluorescent imaging of live biological specimens with cellular resolution.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
O. Sova, T. J. Sluckin, S. Kaur, H. F. Gleeson, V. Reshetnyak
Summary: This paper constructs a theoretical model for the electronic liquid crystal contact lens for the correction of presbyopia. The study shows good agreement between theory and experimental data, although the precise parameters of the lens differ slightly from the original design. The model is useful for engineering optimization of the existing prototype.
OPTICAL MATERIALS EXPRESS
(2023)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Osamu Kutomi, Shigenori Nonaka, Katsuto Hozumi, Sen Takeda
Summary: Primary cilia play a crucial role in organogenesis, homeostasis, and immune system function. This study focuses on primary cilia in the thymus, where immature lymphocytes develop into T cells. By studying knockout mice lacking primary cilia in thymic epithelial cells (TECs), the researchers found that the absence or disorganization of thymic cilia leads to an increase in CD4- and CD8-single positive thymocytes. This is the first study to report the physiological role of primary cilia and Ift88 in thymus and T cell differentiation.
ANATOMICAL SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Robotics
Kazuki Yamato, Masatoshi Iuchi, Hiromasa Oku
Summary: In this study, a high-speed and low-latency 3D fluorescence imaging method for robotic microscopes is proposed. The method allows image acquisition at arbitrary focal lengths at a frame rate of 1 kHz, with a low latency of a few milliseconds.
JOURNAL OF ROBOTICS AND MECHATRONICS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Robotics
Masatoshi Ishikawa, Idaku Ishii, Hiromasa Oku, Akio Namiki, Yuji Yamakawa, Tomohiko Hayakawa
JOURNAL OF ROBOTICS AND MECHATRONICS
(2022)
Article
Robotics
Hiromu Kijima, Hiromasa Oku
Summary: In this paper, a novel method utilizing two projectors to generate structured light field (SLF) is proposed. The experiments demonstrate that high-speed and precise depth estimation can be achieved within 1 ms with an error of only several millimeters, although the measurement range is limited to approximately 100 mm.
JOURNAL OF ROBOTICS AND MECHATRONICS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Atsushi Taniguchi, Yukinori Nishigami, Hiroko Kajiura-Kobayashi, Daisuke Takao, Daisuke Tamaoki, Toshiyuki Nakagaki, Shigenori Nonaka, Seiji Sonobe
Summary: Amoebae are crucial for the carbon cycle and understanding their behavior is important for global environment. By studying Amoeba Proteus, researchers found that the whole cell membrane moves during pressure-driven locomotion and the dorsal cell membrane moves more slowly than the other membrane. The membrane complexity is also asymmetrical between the dorsal and ventral sides.
Article
Cell Biology
Akiko Kondow, Kiyoshi Ohnuma, Atsushi Taniguchi, Joe Sakamoto, Makoto Asashima, Kagayaki Kato, Yasuhiro Kamei, Shigenori Nonaka
Summary: This study provides a workflow for extracting the contours of zebrafish embryos using an edge detection method. The proposed method outperforms other widely used methods in terms of edge detection accuracy and noise robustness, making it suitable for automating small-scale contour extractions of unlabeled embryos.
DEVELOPMENT GROWTH & DIFFERENTIATION
(2023)
Article
Developmental Biology
Rena Kashimoto, Yasuhiro Kamei, Shigenori Nonaka, Yohei Kondo, Sakiya Yamamoto, Saya Furukawa, Ayaka Ohashi, Akira Satoh
Summary: Our study revealed that the lattice structure of dermal collagen fibers in axolotls is not fully regenerated after skin injury, but can be induced by nerves. The mechanism of collagen fiber regeneration remains unknown. We found that cells involved in skin repair/regeneration are derived from both the surrounding dermis and subcutaneous tissue, and can braid collagen fibers with the presence of nerves. Additionally, FGF signaling can substitute for nerve roles in the conversion of subcutaneous fibroblasts to lattice-shaped dermal fibroblasts. Our findings contribute to understanding the fundamental mechanisms of skin regeneration and have potential implications for developing new skin treatments.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Ryuji Yanase, Flavia Moreira-Leite, Edward Rea, Lauren Wilburn, Jovana Sadlova, Barbora Vojtkova, Katerina Pruzinova, Atsushi Taniguchi, Shigenori Nonaka, Petr Volf, Jack D. Sunter
Summary: Attachment to a substrate is a common strategy among eukaryotic parasites for maintaining position in a specific ecological niche. In this study, the researchers used advanced electron microscopy techniques to investigate the adhesion of Leishmania parasites to the stomodeal valve in the sand fly vector. They found distinct structural elements in the attachment plaque and identified five stages of haptomonad-like cell differentiation. The study also demonstrated the importance of calcium for Leishmania adhesion in vitro. These findings provide important insights into the structural and regulatory aspects of Leishmania adhesion and contribute to a better understanding of its life cycle.
Article
Mathematical & Computational Biology
James C. Schaff, Anuradha Lakshminarayana, Robert F. Murphy, Frank T. Bergmann, Akira Funahashi, Devin P. Sullivan, Lucian P. Smith
Summary: While many biological processes can be abstracted without considering the physical space, modeling at the cellular level requires the inclusion of spatial compartments. The SBML Level 3 Core specification lacks an explicit mechanism for encoding geometries and spatial processes, but SBML packages can extend the Core specification to provide additional syntactic constructs. The SBML Spatial Processes package adds the necessary features for encoding geometries and spatial information in models.
JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE BIOINFORMATICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eric Fujiwara, Lidia O. Rosa, Hiromasa Oku, Cristiano M. B. Cordeiro
Summary: Biodegradable optical waveguides made of agar show great potential for light delivery and sensing in biomedical and environmental applications. We propose an all-optical, biodegradable electric current sensor utilizing agar's thermal effect and refractive index modulation. By connecting the optical device to a DC voltage source and exciting the agar sample with coherent light, we can measure the input amperage based on the motion of speckle fields.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Yuki Funato, Suzuno Hayashi, Hiromasa Oku
Summary: In recent years, there have been attempts to enhance the sense of food using light and images. One of these attempts proposed a method to create transparent optical elements using foods like candy and agar. This study introduces an edible light pipe made of candy as a new edible optical element for food decoration, and presents the results of its basic evaluation. The study also suggests a method of supplying light to the light pipe from a remote location using a laser.
2023 IEEE CONFERENCE ON VIRTUAL REALITY AND 3D USER INTERFACES ABSTRACTS AND WORKSHOPS, VRW
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
Masatoshi Iuchi, Yuito Hirohashi, Hiromasa Oku
Summary: In this study, a method for aerial display is proposed. The method utilizes a high-speed gaze control system and a laser display to perform projection mapping on a screen suspended from a flying drone at a distance. A prototype system was developed and successfully demonstrated dynamic projection mapping, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed method.
2023 IEEE CONFERENCE VIRTUAL REALITY AND 3D USER INTERFACES, VR
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Hiroyuki Ogihara, Yuki Funato, Hiromasa Oku
Summary: This paper aims to investigate the potential of using projection technology to reduce pain and fear in children through virtual reality images. A cost-effective two-screen projection system is proposed, which creates an immersive digital space visually. The experiments conducted show that the system significantly reduces stress levels in both healthy adults and children with medical complexity, making it an ideal distraction method in pediatric nursing.
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Hiromasa Oku, Miko Sato, Yuki Funato
Summary: This paper proposes an edible retroreflector made of candy, which has a longer lifetime and is resistant to drying compared to traditional agar retroreflectors. The evaluation experiments show that the proposed retroreflectors have a high reflection coefficient, making them suitable as markers for cameras. The prototype is capable of maintaining its functionality for 10 days from a fixed-point observation.
