Complementary Color Laser Illumination for Perceptual Contrast Enhancement in Structurally Colored Samples

Author

Tomoshree Dash, Clemson UniversityFollow

Date of Award

12-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Electrical and Computer Engineering (Holcomb Dept. of)

Committee Chair/Advisor

Judson D. Ryckman

Committee Member

Goutam Koley

Committee Member

William R. Harrell

Abstract

Structural color, a phenomenon arising from nanoscale interaction between light and materials, has the potential to unveil biological, chemical, physical, and mechanical characteristics of the sample. It enables direct visualization of the sample by human users with high spatiotemporal resolution. However, its impact is often constrained by challenges in the perceptual differentiation of subtle color variations. This thesis introduces complementary color laser illumination (C²LI) as an imaging technique that enhances color perception of the Human Visual System (HVS) by accessing the psychophysical non-linearities in chromatic color perception. C²LI offers a platform optimized for the HVS by enhancing perceptual sensitivity, thus enabling a new pathway for enhancing the fidelity of sample analysis for a range of sensing and imaging applications. Here, using a dichromatic red-cyan laser illuminant, we demonstrate that C²LI enables perceptually enhanced sensing and imaging in (1) microfluidic refractometric sensing, (2) vapor sensing, (3) phase contrast enhanced microscopy, and (4) semiconductor metrology.

Recommended Citation

Dash, Tomoshree, "Complementary Color Laser Illumination for Perceptual Contrast Enhancement in Structurally Colored Samples" (2025). All Theses. 4618.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4618

Author ORCID Identifier

0009-0007-5790-0631