More robust single-molecule tracking with galvo mirrors
Dr. Xiaochen Tan and team recently demonstrated that real-time 3D single-molecule tracking performance is dramatically improved, both in terms of tracking precision and stability, by replacing a piezoelectric nanopositioner with high-speed galvo steering mirrors. While prior reports of active-feedback tracking have used piezoelectric stages or galvo steering mirrors, Dr. Tan’s work is the first to do a direct comparison, showing clearly the advantage of galvo steering mirrors due to their more rapid response time (~200 μsec) compared to the piezo stage implementation (>1 msec). This work suggests that for real-time 3D single-particle tracking to progress to real-time 3D single-molecule tracking, the piezo technology need to be replaced by faster-responding optical elements. Well done, Xiaochen, Shangguo, Stacey, Chen, and Alexis!
Read the paper here:
