Fast photothermal spatial light modulation for quantitative phase imaging at the nanoscale

Abstract Spatial light modulators have become an essential tool for advanced microscopy, enabling breakthroughs in 3D, phase, and super-resolution imaging. However, continuous spatial-light modulation that is capable of capturing sub-millisecond microscopic motion without diffraction artifacts polarization dependence challenging. Here we present a photothermal spatial modulator (PT-SLM) fast phase imaging nanoscopic 3D reconstruction. The PT-SLM can generate step-like wavefront change, free artifacts, with high transmittance efficiency independent polarization. We achieve phase-shift > π response time as short 70 µs theoretical limit the sub microsecond range. used to perform quantitative sub-diffractional species decipher displacement microtubules study trajectory diffusive microtubule-associated protein, providing insights into mechanism protein navigation through complex microtubule network.