Invited
Brillouin Microscopy

Brillouin microscopy is an emerging technique for biomechanical imaging at the micrometer level with high sensitivity, and with no sample contact or external mechanical stimulus. In this talk, I will present a new approach for high-sensitivity, noncontact, all-optical mechanical imaging in biological matter based on stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS). The method uses continuous-wave, single-frequency lasers and a phase sensitive detection scheme to accurately extract the Brillouin frequency shifts and linewidths in biological materials. These parameters are closely related to the high-frequency complex longitudinal modulus of the material under observation. Our approach provides a new means for robust and rapid biomechanical imaging.