Bessel beam plane illumination microscope

1. A microscope comprising:

a light source for generating a light beam having a wavelength, λ;

beam-forming optics, including an optical element positioned in a path of the light beam and configured for generating an annular ring of light, the beam-forming optics being configured for generating from the light beam an excitation beam and also configured to direct the excitation beam to a position within a sample, wherein the excitation beam in the sample has a central lobe and at least one side lobe, wherein the beam-forming optics include an excitation objective having an axis oriented in a first direction, and wherein the excitation beam has a non-zero minimum numerical aperture and a maximum numerical aperture, and a ratio between the minimum numerical aperture and the maximum numerical aperture is less than 0.95;

imaging optics configured for receiving light from a position within the sample that is illuminated by the excitation beam and for imaging the received light on a detector, the imaging optics including a detection objective having an axis oriented in a second direction that is non-parallel to the first direction; and

a detector configured for detecting light received by the imaging optics.

2. The microscope of claim 1 , wherein the optical element positioned in a path of the light beam and configured for generating an annular ring of light includes an annular apodization mask.

3. The microscope of claim 1 , wherein the optical element positioned in a path of the light beam and configured for generating an annular ring of light includes a binary phase mask.

4. The microscope of claim 1 , wherein the optical element positioned in a path of the light beam and configured for generating an annular ring of light includes a programmable spatial light modulator.

5. The microscope of claim 1 , wherein the ratio between the minimum numerical aperture and the maximum numerical aperture is less than 0.90.

6. The microscope of claim 1 , wherein an amount of energy in a highest-energy side lobe of the excitation beam is less than half of an amount of energy in the central lobe of the excitation beam.

7. The microscope of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a Rayleigh length, z R , of the excitation beam in the sample to a minimum beam waist, w o , of the excitation beam in the sample is more than 2πw o /λ and less than 100πw o /λ.

8. The microscope of claim 1 , further comprising a cover slip having a planar surface upon which the sample is mounted or cultured, the planar surface being tilted at an angle between 10 and 80 degrees with respect to the first direction.

9. The microscope of claim 8 , wherein the sample is less than ten micrometers thick.

10. The microscope of claim 1 , further comprising beam scanning optics configured for scanning the excitation beam in a direction having a component perpendicular to the first direction.

11. The microscope of claim 1 , wherein the signal light is generated though a non-linear signal generation process.

12. The microscope of claim 1 , wherein the signal light includes fluorescence light emitted from the sample after excitation by the excitation beam.

13. A method comprising:

providing a light beam having a wavelength, λ;

generating, from the light beam, an excitation beam having a central lobe and at least one side lobe;

providing the excitation beam to a position within a sample, wherein the excitation beam has a non-zero minimum numerical aperture and a maximum numerical aperture, and a ratio between the minimum numerical aperture and the maximum numerical aperture is less than 0.95;

imaging signal light receiving from a position within the sample that is illuminated by the excitation beam onto a detector.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein generating the excitation beam includes generating an annular ring of light with a binary phase mask.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein generating the excitation beam includes generating an annular ring of light with a programmable spatial light modulator.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the ratio between the minimum numerical aperture and the maximum numerical aperture is less than 0.90.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein an amount of energy in a highest-energy side lobe of the excitation beam is less than half of an amount of energy in the central lobe of the excitation beam.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein a ratio of a Rayleigh length, z R , of the excitation beam in the sample to a minimum beam waist, w o , of the excitation beam in the sample is more than 2πw o /λ and less than 100πw o /λ.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the signal light is generated though a non-linear signal generation process.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the signal light includes fluorescence light emitted from the sample after excitation by the excitation beam.

21. A microscope comprising:

a light source for generating a light beam having a wavelength, λ;

beam-forming optics, including an optical element positioned in a path of the light beam and configured for generating an annular ring of light, the beam-forming optics being configured for generating from the light beam an excitation beam and also configured to direct the excitation beam to a position within a sample, wherein the excitation beam in the sample has a central lobe and at least one side lobe, wherein the beam-forming optics include an excitation objective having an axis oriented in a first direction, and wherein a minimum beam waist, w o , of the excitation beam in the sample is less than five micrometers and wherein a ratio of a Rayleigh length, z R , of the excitation beam in the sample to the minimum beam waist, w o , of the excitation beam in the sample is more than 2πw o /λ and less than 100πw o /λ;

imaging optics configured for receiving light from a position within the sample that is illuminated by the excitation beam and for imaging the received light on a detector, the imaging optics including a detection objective having an axis oriented in a second direction that is non-parallel to the first direction; and

a detector configured for detecting light received by the imaging optics.

22. The microscope of claim 21 , wherein the optical element positioned in a path of the light beam and configured for generating an annular ring of light includes an annular apodization mask.

23. The microscope of claim 21 , wherein the optical element positioned in a path of the light beam and configured for generating an annular ring of light includes a binary phase mask.

24. The microscope of claim 21 , wherein the optical element positioned in a path of the light beam and configured for generating an annular ring of light includes a programmable spatial light modulator.

25. The microscope of claim 21 , wherein the excitation beam has a non-zero minimum numerical aperture and a maximum numerical aperture, and a ratio between the minimum numerical aperture and the maximum numerical aperture is less than 0.95.

26. The microscope of claim 21 , wherein the excitation beam has a non-zero minimum numerical aperture and a maximum numerical aperture, and a ratio between the minimum numerical aperture and the maximum numerical aperture is less than 0.90.

27. The microscope of claim 21 , wherein an amount of energy in a highest-energy side lobe of the excitation beam is less than half of an amount of energy in the central lobe of the excitation beam.

28. The microscope of claim 21 , further comprising a cover slip having a planar surface upon which the sample is mounted or cultured, the planar surface being tilted at an angle between 10 and 80 degrees with respect to the first direction.

29. The microscope of claim 28 , wherein the sample is less than ten micrometers thick.

30. The microscope of claim 21 , further comprising beam scanning optics configured for scanning the excitation beam in a direction having a component perpendicular to the first direction.

31. The microscope of claim 21 , wherein the signal light is generated though a non-linear signal generation process.

32. A method comprising:

providing a light beam having a wavelength, λ;

generating, from the light beam, an excitation beam having a central lobe and at least one side lobe;

providing the excitation beam to a position within a sample, wherein the excitation beam at the position in the sample has a central lobe and at least one side lobe, and wherein a minimum beam waist, w o , of the excitation beam at the position in the sample is less than five micrometers and wherein a ratio of a Rayleigh length, z R , of the excitation beam in the sample to the minimum beam waist, w o , of the excitation beam in the sample is more than 2πw o /λ and less than 100πw o /λ; and

imaging signal light receiving from a position within the sample that is illuminated by the excitation beam onto a detector.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein generating the excitation beam includes generating an annular ring of light with a binary phase mask.

34. The method of claim 32 , wherein generating the excitation beam includes generating an annular ring of light with a programmable spatial light modulator.

35. The method of claim 32 , wherein the excitation beam has a non-zero minimum numerical aperture and a maximum numerical aperture, and a ratio between the minimum numerical aperture and the maximum numerical aperture is less than 0.95.

36. The method of claim 32 , wherein the excitation beam has a non-zero minimum numerical aperture and a maximum numerical aperture, and a ratio between the minimum numerical aperture and the maximum numerical aperture is less than 0.90.

37. The method of claim 32 , wherein an amount of energy in a highest-energy side lobe of the excitation beam is less than half of an amount of energy in the central lobe of the excitation beam.

38. The method of claim 32 , wherein the signal light is generated though a non-linear signal generation process.