Silicon photonics ultrahigh-resolution in vivo optoacoustic tomography

Abstract

A new ultrasound-detection technology is developed for ultrahigh-resolution optoacoustic tomography and is experimentally demonstrated with bandwidths exceeding 200 MHz and lateral resolutions beyond 20 μm. Our technology is based on an optical resonator fabricated in a silicon-photonics platform, which is coated by a sensitivity-enhancing polymer, which also eliminates the parasitic effect of surface acoustic waves. Further improvement in sensitivity is achieved by a low-noise interferometric setup, which eliminates the effect of laser frequency noise on the measurement. In vivo optoacoustic tomography is performed on a mouse ear, revealing its vasculature at detail that has been previously reserved to optoacoustic microscopy.