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Published August 15, 2001 | Published
Journal Article Open

Phase-referenced interferometer with subwavelength and subhertz sensitivity applied to the study of cell membrane dynamics

Abstract

We report a highly sensitive means of measuring cellular dynamics with a novel interferometer that can measure motional phase changes. The system is based on a modified Michelson interferometer with a composite laser beam of 1550-nm low-coherence light and 775-nm CW light. The sample is prepared on a coverslip that is highly reflective at 775nm. By referencing the heterodyne phase of the 1550-nm light reflected from the sample to that of the 775-nm light reflected from the coverslip, small motions in the sample are detected, and motional artifacts from vibrations in the interferometer are completely eliminated. We demonstrate that the system is sensitive to motions as small as 3.6nm and velocities as small as 1nm/s. Using the instrument, we study transient volume changes of a few (approximately three) cells in a monolayer immersed in weakly hypotonic and hypertonic solutions.

Additional Information

© 2001 Optical Society of America Received March 28, 2001 We acknowledge valuable discussions with P. Knauf of the University of Rochester and C. Boone and I. Georgakoudi of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Laser Biomedical Research Center. This work was carried out at the MIT Laser Biomedical Research Center and supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (P41-RR02594) and Hamamatsu Corporation. A. Wax is supported by a National Research Service Award from the National Institutes of Health.

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August 21, 2023
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