Optical imaging through scattering media via magnetically modulated fluorescence

Abstract

A weak (< 1000 G) magnetic field can influence photochemical processes through its effect on electron spin dynamics in a photogenerated radical pair. In a solution of pyrene and dimethylaniline this effect manifests as magnetic field-dependent exciplex fluorescence. Here we describe magnetofluorescence imaging (MFI). A localized magnetic null defines a fluorescence detection volume, which is scanned through a sample to create an image. MFI forms an image without lenses and in the presence of arbitrarily strong optical scattering. The resolution of MFI is in principle not limited by optical diffraction, although the present implementation is far from the diffraction limit.