生命科学的发展一直伴随着显微技术的创新。基于超快光学的单分子相干调制显微成像技术在量子力学的理论基础上, 通过结合超快光学和显微技术使观测生物的微观量子现象成为可能。这篇综述首先介绍了该技术利用飞秒激光脉冲对实现了单分子量子相干态的操控, 并通过调制解调技术获得单分子周围相干信息的基本原理。然后分别介绍了其在生物方面的两个应用: (1)通过降低生物自荧光和背景噪声,实现了生物成像对比度两个数量级的提高; (2)通过提取相干可视度V获得了单分子周围微观的量子信息, 为生物体微环境的观察提供了有效手段。最后文章对基于单分子相干调制显微成像在癌症研究方面做了展望, 该方法将为癌症的早期诊断和预后评估提供新的途径。

With the reduction of the scales in life system for human observation, many novel quantum phenomena have been gradually discovered and studied. However, the dynamic process of quantum phenomena at the microscopicscale often takes place in the time scale from femtosecond to picosecond, while conventional detection methods cannot achieve an effective observation. Based on the theory of quantum mechanics, single molecule coherent modulation microscopic imaging technology makes it possible to observe the quantum phenomena of microscopic organisms by combining ultrafast optics and microscopy. In this review, we first introduce the basic principle of single molecule coherent modulation microscopy imaging technology, which achieves the control of single molecule quantum coherent state by femtosecond laser pulse, and obtains coherent information around single molecule by modem technology. Then, two applications in biology are introduced respectively: (1) The contrast ofbiological imaging can be improved by two orders of magnitude by reducing the self-fluorescence and background noise of biology; (2) the quantum information around single molecule can be obtained by extracting the coherent visibility V, which provides an effective means for the observation of biological microenvironment. Finally, this paper prospects the early diagnosis of cancer based on single molecule coherent modulation microscopy, which will provide a new way for the early diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of cancer.