National Research Council of Canada

University of Ottawa

Canadian Patents & Development Ltd.

Dh Technologies Development Pte. Ltd.

Fluidigm Canada Inc.

Standard Biotools Canada Inc.

Paul B Corkum

David Rayner

Giulio Vampa

Alexander V Loboda

Cyril Hnatovsky

Rod S Taylor

Alexandre V Loboda

A John Alcock

Hui Chun Liu

Emmanuel Dupont

Douglas J James

H C Liu

Thomas Brabec

Ravi Bhardwaj

Orson Bourne

Manjusha Mehendale

Ravi Bhardwaj Vedula

Andrei Yu Naumov

Eli Simova

Xiaonong Zhu

The present invention relates to the high resolution imaging of samples using imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) and to the imaging of biological samples by imaging mass cytometry (IMC™) in which labelling atoms are detected by IMS. LA-ICP-MS (a form of IMS in which the sample is ablated by a laser, the ablated material is then ionised in an inductively coupled plasma before the ions are detected by mass spectrometry) has been used for analysis of various substances, such as mineral analysis of geological samples, analysis of archaeological samples, and imaging of biological substances. However, traditional LA-ICP-MS systems and methods may not provide high resolution. Described herein are methods and systems for high resolution IMS and IMC.

High resolution imaging apparatus and method

The present invention relates to the high resolution imaging of samples using imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) and to the imaging of biological samples by imaging mass cytometry (IMCTM) in which labelling atoms are detected by IMS. LA-ICP-MS (a form of IMS in which the sample is ablated by a laser, the ablated material is then ionised in an inductively coupled plasma before the ions are detected by mass spectrometry) has been used for analysis of various substances, such as mineral analysis of geological samples, analysis of archaeological samples, and imaging of biological substances. However, traditional LA-ICP-MS systems and methods may not provide high resolution. Described herein are methods and systems for high resolution IMS and IMC.

A method and apparatus for generating high-order harmonics in a solid-state medium comprising integrated semiconductor devices and electronics. The high-order harmonics interact with and are modified by the internal electric field associated with the operation of the integrated semiconductor devices and electronics. Measurement of the high-order harmonics after modification by the internal electric fields amounts to high resolution (temporal and spatial) dynamic imaging of the internal electric fields associated with the integrated semiconductor devices and electronics.

Apparatus and method for strong-field probing of electric fields in solid-state electronic circuits

A method and apparatus is disclosed for generating tunable attosecond-scale radiation pulses, with a frequency in range of mid-infrared to ultra-violet, from a silicon medium. The invention utilizes an intense laser pulse to drive a high harmonic generation (HHG) process in a silicon medium and a weak secondary field to control the HHG process. The weak secondary field has a frequency equal to the second harmonic of the intense laser pulse. The spatial, temporal and spectral properties of the HHG process and the emitted harmonic beam are tuned by adjusting the relative delay between the two fields and the intensity of the weak secondary field.

Apparatus and method for generation of high harmonics from silicon

A method and apparatus is disclosed for generating tunable attosecond-scale radiation pulses, with a frequency in range of ultraviolet to soft-X-ray, from a solid-state medium. The invention utilizes an intense laser pulse to drive a high harmonic generation (HHG) process in a solid state medium and a weak secondary field to control the HHG process. The weak secondary field has a frequency equal to the second harmonic of the intense laser pulse. The spatial, temporal and spectral properties of the HHG process and the emitted harmonic beam are tuned by adjusting the relative delay between the two fields and the intensity of the weak secondary field.

Apparatus and method for tunable generation of coherent radiation

The present disclosure generally provides ionization methods and devices for use in mass spectrometry. In some embodiments, the ionization methods and devices employ short laser pulses (e.g., pulses having pulsewidths in a range of about 2 fs to about 1 ps) at a high intensity (e.g., an intensity in a range of about 1 TW/cmto about 1000 TW/cm) to ionize an analyte an ambient pressure greater than about 10Torr (e.g., an ambient pressure in a range of about 1 atmosphere to about 100 atmospheres).

Ionization with femtosecond lasers at elevated pressure

To make high quality long-range periodic nanostructures in a transparent or semi-transparent substrate, the transparent or semi-transparent substrate is scanned with a linearly polarized laser beam generated by a femtosecond laser and exceeding a predetermined energy/pulse threshold along a scanning path. Sub-diffraction limit structures are formed as periodic planes of modified material in the transparent or semi-transparent substrate extending along the scanning path. The modified material can then be chemically etched to form cavities.

Fabrication of long range periodic nanostructures in transparent or semitransparent dielectrics

A sub-micron structure is fabricated in a transparent dielectric material by focusing femtosecond laser pulses into the dielectric to create a highly tapered modified zone with modified etch properties. The dielectric material is then selectively etched into the modified zone from the direction of the narrow end of the tapered zone so that as the selective etching proceeds longitudinally into the modified zone, the progressively increasing width of the modified zone compensates for lateral etching occurring closer to the narrow end so as to produce steep-walled holes. The unetched portion of the modified zone produced by translating the laser beam close to and parallel to the bottom surface of the dielectric can serve as an optical waveguide to collect light from or deliver light to the etched channel which can contain various biological, optical, or chemical materials for sensing applications.

Method of fabricating sub-micron structures in transparent dielectric materials

The present invention relates to a method for writing an optical structure within a workpiece of a dielectric material using FLDM. In a first embodiment system parameters for the FLDM are determined in dependence upon the dielectric material, a predetermined volume element and a predetermined change of the refractive index of the dielectric material within the predetermined volume element. The system parameters are determined such that self-focusing of a pulsed femtosecond laser beam is inhibted by non-linear absorption of the energy of the pulsed femtosecond laser beam within the dielectric material. A pulsed femtosecond laser beam based on the determined system parameters is focused at a predetermined location within the workpiece for inducing a change of the refractive index through dielectric modification within the predetermined volume element, the volume element including the focus. Various embodiments enable writing of various different optical structures into a workpiece.

Methods for creating optical structures in dielectrics using controlled energy deposition

A method of accurately and precisely providing desired functionality to an electronic or opto-electronic component is disclosed in which a Femtosecond laser pulse is used to ablate material from a surface of or from within a component. The component is in active operation during the ablation process in order to facilitate the ablation process. The process also involves detection and feedback to indicate when a repair is sufficiently complete. The detection is also performed while the component is powered allowing in-situ detection and ablation. Of course, forms of facilitation other than feedback such as monitoring are also applicable to the invention.

Method and apparatus for repair of defects in materials with short laser pulses

A method and apparatus is provided for propagating photoelectrons in a semiconductor material and for controlling the direction of photoelectrons produced in a semiconductor material. A selected region of the semiconductor material is irradiated with two beams of light that overlap in space and time. The two interfering light beams have a predetermined phase relationship and are harmonically related such that the frequency of one is approximately a multiple of two of the other. Each of the beams of light produce substantially a same number of photoelectrons in the semiconductor material. As the phase relationship between the two beams is varied, the direction of propagation of the photoelectrons produced, varies.

Coherent switch of currents in semiconductors

A plasma is induced in a transmissive medium, and causes a chirp to be impressed on an optical pulse. The chirped pulse when passed through a dispersing means is then compressed. Applications of this pulse compression technique include the generation of short pulses of infrared at high power levels. Picosecond pulses of 10 micron energy are generated by switching a 2 picosecond portion from the output of a multi-atmosphere laser oscillator, and amplifying the portion in a CO.sub.2 gain module operated at gain saturation to cause a plasma front to propagate with the portion being amplified. A blue chirp of the pulse results. The pulse is passed through a dispersive medium, and a substantial decrease in pulse width and increase in energy density occurs during successive passes of the pulse through the gain module. Pulses as short as 500 femtoseconds have been produced at power densities of the order of 10.sup.12 watts/cm.sup.2. A TE/CO.sub.2 oscillator is used as the source of pulses, which are switched by a dye laser and a pair of cadmium/telluride reflection switches and a silicon transmission switch, and a TE/CO.sub.2 multi-atmosphere gain module with sodium chloride windows amplified and shortens the pulse during successive passes through the module.

Infrared pulse compression

A method and apparatus for switching an infrared radiation signal laser beam in which a semiconductor, capable of transmitting the signal beam without damage, is provided and upon which the signal beam is incident at an angle which may preferably be Brewster's angle. The surface of the semiconductor is irradiated by a second laser beam which has a sufficiently high frequency to produce free carriers in the semiconductor and which has a sufficient radiation intensity and time duration to produce a free carrier density greater than the critical density for the signal beam resulting in substantially total reflection of the signal beam from the semiconductor surface. In particular, a pulsed CO.sub.2 laser beam which is incident on a polycrystalline n-type germanium semiconductor is reflected by irradiating the semiconductor with a pulsed ruby or Nd:glass laser beam.

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Gloucester, Canada

Paul B Corkum