Publications

@article{Yao2025-ht,

title = {Optoacoustic lenses for lateral sub-optical resolution  elasticity imaging},

author = {Mengting Yao and Rafael Fuentes-Dom\'{i}nguez and Salvatore La 3rd Cavera and Fernando P\'{e}rez-Cota and Richard J Smith and Matt Clark},

doi = {10.1016/j.pacs.2024.100663},

year  = {2025},

date = {2025-02-01},

urldate = {2025-02-01},

journal = {Photoacoustics},

volume = {41},

number = {100663},

pages = {100663},

publisher = {Elsevier BV},

abstract = {In this paper, we demonstrate for the first time the focusing of 

 gigahertz coherent phonon pulses propagating in water using 

 picosecond ultrasonics and Brillouin light scattering. We 

 achieve this by using planar Fresnel zone plate and concave 

 lenses with different focal lengths. Pump light illuminating the 

 optoacoustic lens generates a focusing acoustic field, and 

 Brillouin scattered probe light allows the acoustic field to be 

 continuously monitored over time. Agreement of the experiment 

 with a numerical model suggests that we can generate a focused 

 acoustic beam down to ∼ 250 nm. A clear focusing effect is 

 observed experimentally as a modulation of the envelope of the 

 time-resolved Brillouin scattering (TRBS) signal. These findings 

 are a crucial step toward their application in high-resolution 

 acoustic microscopy. This work experimentally demonstrates a 

 method to narrow the lateral size of picosecond laser-generated 

 phonon fields in an aqueous environment, making it well-suited 

 for 3D imaging applications in biological systems using TRBS.},

keywords = {78A60, 92C55, Brillouin scattering, Elasticity imaging, Phonon   focusing, Picosecond laser ultrasonics},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{La_Cavera2024-oi,

title = {Label-free Brillouin endo-microscopy for the quantitative 3D  imaging of sub-micrometre biology},

author = {Salvatore La Cavera and Veeren M Chauhan and William Hardiman and Mengting Yao and Rafael Fuentes-Dom\'{i}nguez and Kerry Setchfield and Sidahmed A Abayzeed and Fernando P\'{e}rez-Cota and Richard J Smith and Matt Clark},

doi = {10.1038/s42003-024-06126-4},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-04-01},

urldate = {2024-04-01},

journal = {Commun. Biol.},

volume = {7},

number = {1},

pages = {451},

abstract = {This report presents an optical fibre-based endo-microscopic 

 imaging tool that simultaneously measures the topographic profile 

 and 3D viscoelastic properties of biological specimens through 

 the phenomenon of time-resolved Brillouin scattering. This uses 

 the intrinsic viscoelasticity of the specimen as a contrast 

 mechanism without fluorescent tags or photoacoustic contrast 

 mechanisms. We demonstrate 2 μm lateral resolution and 320 nm 

 axial resolution for the 3D imaging of biological cells and 

 Caenorhabditis elegans larvae. This has enabled the first ever 3D 

 stiffness imaging and characterisation of the C. elegans larva 

 cuticle in-situ. A label-free, subcellular resolution, and 

 endoscopic compatible technique that reveals structural 

 biologically-relevant material properties of tissue could pave 

 the way toward in-vivo elasticity-based diagnostics down to the 

 single cell level.},

keywords = {Brillouin scattering, label free, microscopy},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}