6–10 Jul 2026
University of the Western Cape
Africa/Johannesburg timezone
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Single-Shot Optical Quadrature Microscopy Integrated With Optical Tweezing for Live-Cell Quantitative Phase Imaging

8 Jul 2026, 09:50
20m
Lecture Hall DL1 (University of the Western Cape)

Lecture Hall DL1

University of the Western Cape

Oral Presentation Track C - Photonics Photonics

Speaker

Calvin Groenewald (Stellenbosch University)

Description

Quantitative Phase Imaging (QPI) enables non-invasive, label-free measurement of optical path length variations within transparent samples, facilitating three-dimensional reconstruction of sample structure and dynamics from two-dimensional microscopy images.

Building on our earlier development and demonstration of Single-Shot Optical Quadrature Microscopy (SSOQM), a polarization-based implementation of Phase Shifting Interferometry (PSI) that uses a polarization-sensitive camera for simultaneous quadrature phase detection, we now demonstrate the integration of SSOQM within an optical tweezing platform. This configuration allows for real-time phase imaging and manipulation of microscopic specimens. Using trapped yeast cells as an example, we present quantitative phase maps that showcase refractive index variations and morphological features within individual cells. Additionally, we report progress toward dynamic, video-rate QPI measurements, enabling tracking of morphological evolution of samples over time.

In this talk, we present the system design and calibration strategy that enables robust single-shot quantitative phase imaging and demonstrate its application to trapped yeast cells, including preliminary video-based measurements, highlighting the potential of the integrated SSOQM–tweezing platform for dynamic, label-free investigation of live-cell dynamics and morphology.

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Author

Calvin Groenewald (Stellenbosch University)

Co-authors

Gurthwin Bosman (Stellenbosch University) Mr Le Roi Du Plessis (Stellenbosch University) Pieter Neethling (Stellenbosch University)

Presentation materials