Towards fast and precise phase-only modulation-based adaptive optics to improve widefield microscopic imaging of scattered objects

Resolving the intricate structures of biological objects remains a significant challenge in biomedicine. Adaptive optics (AO) is an emerging technology used to enhance the performance of optical systems by correcting wavefront distortions occurring in both excitation and emission paths of epi-illumination microscopes - a promising strategy to improve image quality and increase imaging depth by mitigating optical aberrations induced by the sample and the optical system. In widefield microscopy, employing both fluorescence and reflectance modalities, AO primarily enhances image resolution and contrast by compensating for these aberrations, enabling clearer and more detailed object visualization. Such improvements are particularly critical in applications demanding high-resolution imaging, including histology and cell biology. In this work, we present a concept for integrating AO into a widefield microscope using a novel piston micromirror-based spatial light modulator (SLM), which enables fast and precise phase modulation critical for effective wavefront correction, thereby significantly enhancing image quality.