scholarly journals Optical topography measurement of steeply-sloped surfaces beyond the specular numerical aperture limit

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Thomas ◽  
Rong Su ◽  
Peter J. de Groot ◽  
Richard K. Leach
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Aperture ◽  
Optical Topography

Video-Enhanced Microscopy--Better Visibility of Plant Cell Structures

1982 ◽  
Vol 40 ◽  
pp. 182-185
Author(s):  
N.S. Allen ◽  
R.D. Allen
Keyword(s):  
Diffraction Pattern ◽  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
Numerical Aperture ◽  
Gain Control ◽  
Control Unit ◽  
Camera Control ◽  
Variable Gain ◽  
Contrast Method ◽  
Fine Detail ◽  
Cell Structures

Various methods of video-enhanced microscopy combine TV cameras with light microscopes creating images with improved resolution, contrast and visibility of fine detail, which can be recorded rapidly and relatively inexpensively. The AVEC (Allen Video-enhanced Contrast) method avoids polarizing rectifiers, since the microscope is operated at retardations of λ/9- λ/4, where no anomaly is seen in the Airy diffraction pattern. The iris diaphram is opened fully to match the numerical aperture of the condenser to that of the objective. Under these conditions, no image can be realized either by eye or photographically. Yet the image becomes visible using the Hamamatsu C-1000-01 binary camera, if the camera control unit is equipped with variable gain control and an offset knob (which sets a clamp voltage of a D.C. restoration circuit). The theoretical basis for these improvements has been described.

On resolving fine periodic microstructures in the optical microscope

1989 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
pp. 364-365
Author(s):  
W.S. Putnam ◽  
C. Viney
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Crystalline ◽  
Numerical Aperture ◽  
Polarized Light ◽  
Normal Incidence ◽  
Optical Microscope ◽  
Angle Of Incidence ◽  
Resolution Limit ◽  
Crystalline Materials ◽  
Periodic Microstructures ◽  
Liquid Crystalline Materials

Many sheared liquid crystalline materials (fibers, films and moldings) exhibit a fine banded microstructure when observed in the polarized light microscope. In some cases, for example Kevlar® fiber, the periodicity is close to the resolution limit of even the highest numerical aperture objectives. The periodic microstructure reflects a non-uniform alignment of the constituent molecules, and consequently is an indication that the mechanical properties will be less than optimal. Thus it is necessary to obtain quality micrographs for characterization, which in turn requires that fine detail should contribute significantly to image formation.It is textbook knowledge that the resolution achievable with a given microscope objective (numerical aperture NA) and a given wavelength of light (λ) increases as the angle of incidence of light at the specimen surface is increased. Stated in terms of the Abbe resolution criterion, resolution improves from λ/NA to λ/2NA with increasing departure from normal incidence.

Performance Evaluation of a Novel Type of Low-Energy Electron Microscope

1990 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 354-355
Author(s):  
Bertholdand Senftinger ◽  
Helmut Liebl
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscope ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Field Strength ◽  
Numerical Aperture ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Energy Electron ◽  
High Resolution Imaging ◽  
Lens System ◽  
Resolution Imaging ◽  
Low Energy Electron

During the last few years the investigation of clean and adsorbate-covered solid surfaces as well as thin-film growth and molecular dynamics have given rise to a constant demand for high-resolution imaging microscopy with reflected and diffracted low energy electrons as well as photo-electrons. A recent successful implementation of a UHV low-energy electron microscope by Bauer and Telieps encouraged us to construct such a low energy electron microscope (LEEM) for high-resolution imaging incorporating several novel design features, which is described more detailed elsewhere.The constraint of high field strength at the surface required to keep the aberrations caused by the accelerating field small and high UV photon intensity to get an improved signal-to-noise ratio for photoemission led to the design of a tetrode emission lens system capable of also focusing the UV light at the surface through an integrated Schwarzschild-type objective. Fig. 1 shows an axial section of the emission lens in the LEEM with sample (28) and part of the sample holder (29). The integrated mirror objective (50a, 50b) is used for visual in situ microscopic observation of the sample as well as for UV illumination. The electron optical components and the sample with accelerating field followed by an einzel lens form a tetrode system. In order to keep the field strength high, the sample is separated from the first element of the einzel lens by only 1.6 mm. With a numerical aperture of 0.5 for the Schwarzschild objective the orifice in the first element of the einzel lens has to be about 3.0 mm in diameter. Considering the much smaller distance to the sample one can expect intense distortions of the accelerating field in front of the sample. Because the achievable lateral resolution depends mainly on the quality of the first imaging step, careful investigation of the aberrations caused by the emission lens system had to be done in order to avoid sacrificing high lateral resolution for larger numerical aperture.

Microspectroscopy Using a Solid Immersion Lens

2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (S2) ◽  
pp. 148-149
Author(s):  
C.D. Poweleit ◽  
J Menéndez
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Focal Plane ◽  
Numerical Aperture ◽  
Normal Incidence ◽  
Spot Size ◽  
Index Of Refraction ◽  
Objective Lens ◽  
Improvement Factor ◽  
Oil Immersion ◽  
Long Time

Oil immersion lenses have been used in optical microscopy for a long time. The light’s wavelength is decreased by the oil’s index of refraction n and this reduces the minimum spot size. Additionally, the oil medium allows a larger collection angle, thereby increasing the numerical aperture. The SIL is based on the same principle, but offers more flexibility because the higher index material is solid. in particular, SILs can be deployed in cryogenic environments. Using a hemispherical glass the spatial resolution is improved by a factor n with respect to the resolution obtained with the microscope’s objective lens alone. The improvement factor is equal to n2 for truncated spheres.As shown in Fig. 1, the hemisphere SIL is in contact with the sample and does not affect the position of the focal plane. The focused rays from the objective strike the lens at normal incidence, so that no refraction takes place.

Measurement of the numerical aperture of a step-index optical fibre

1976 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 63 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Jeunhomme ◽  
J.P. Pocholle
Keyword(s):  
Optical Fibre ◽  
Numerical Aperture ◽  
Step Index

scholarly journals Femtosecond-Laser Assisted Surgery of the Eye: Overview and Impact of the Low-Energy Concept

Micromachines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 122
Author(s):  
Catharina Latz ◽  
Thomas Asshauer ◽  
Christian Rathjen ◽  
Alireza Mirshahi
Keyword(s):  
Surgical Techniques ◽  
Numerical Aperture ◽  
Optical Breakdown ◽  
Pulse Frequency ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Human Cornea ◽  
Energy Concept ◽  
High Pulse Frequency ◽  
Fs Laser ◽  
High Pulse

This article provides an overview of both established and innovative applications of femtosecond (fs)-laser-assisted surgical techniques in ophthalmology. Fs-laser technology is unique because it allows cutting tissue at very high precision inside the eye. Fs lasers are mainly used for surgery of the human cornea and lens. New areas of application in ophthalmology are on the horizon. The latest improvement is the high pulse frequency, low-energy concept; by enlarging the numerical aperture of the focusing optics, the pulse energy threshold for optical breakdown decreases, and cutting with practically no side effects is enabled.

scholarly journals A Highly Birefringent Photonic Crystal Fiber for Terahertz Spectroscopic Chemical Sensing

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1799
Author(s):  
Tianyu Yang ◽  
Liang Zhang ◽  
Yunjie Shi ◽  
Shidi Liu ◽  
Yuming Dong
Keyword(s):  
Photonic Crystal ◽  
Photonic Crystal Fiber ◽  
Chemical Sensing ◽  
Numerical Aperture ◽  
Wide Band ◽  
Relative Sensitivity ◽  
Chemical Sensitivity ◽  
High Birefringence ◽  
Crystal Fiber ◽  
Polarization Maintaining

A photonic crystal fiber (PCF) with high relative sensitivity was designed and investigated for the detection of chemical analytes in the terahertz (THz) regime. To ease the complexity, an extremely simple cladding employing four struts is adopted, which forms a rectangular shaped core area for filling with analytes. Results of enormous simulations indicate that a minimum 87.8% relative chemical sensitivity with low confinement and effective material absorption losses can be obtained for any kind of analyte, e.g., HCN (1.26), water (1.33), ethanol (1.35), KCN (1.41), or cocaine (1.50), whose refractive index falls in the range of 1.2 to 1.5. Besides, the PCF can also achieve high birefringence (∼0.01), low and flat dispersion, a large effective modal area, and a large numerical aperture within the investigated frequency range from 0.5 to 1.5 THz. We believe that the proposed PCF can be applied to chemical sensing of liquid and THz systems requiring wide-band polarization-maintaining transmission and low attenuation.

scholarly journals Sources of Variability in the Response of Labeled Microspheres and B Cells during the Analysis by a Flow Cytometer

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 8256
Author(s):  
Adolfas K. Gaigalas ◽  
Yu-Zhong Zhang ◽  
Linhua Tian ◽  
Lili Wang
Keyword(s):  
B Cells ◽  
Laser Beam ◽  
Cross Section ◽  
Mean Fluorescence Intensity ◽  
Numerical Aperture ◽  
Flow Cytometer ◽  
Fluorescence Signal ◽  
Minor Importance ◽  
Reliable Measure ◽  
The Mean

A stochastic model of the flow cytometer measurement process was developed to assess the nature of the observed coefficient of variation (CV%) of the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) from a population of labeled microspheres (beads). Several sources of variability were considered: the total number of labels on a bead, the path through the laser beam, the optical absorption cross-section, the quantum yield, the numerical aperture of the collection optics, and the photoelectron conversion efficiency of the photomultiplier (PMT) cathode. The variation in the number of labels on a bead had the largest effect on the CV% of the MFI of the bead population. The variation in the path of the bead through the laser beam was minimized using flat-top lasers. The variability in the average optical properties of the labels was of minor importance for beads with sufficiently large number of labels. The application of the bead results to the measured CV% of labeled B cells indicated that the measured CV% was a reliable measure of the variability of antibodies bound per cell. With some modifications, the model can be extended to multicolor flow cytometers and to the study of CV% from cells with low fluorescence signal.

scholarly journals In-Line Analysis of Diffusion Processes in Micro Channels by Long Distance Raman Photometric Measurement Technology—A Proof of Concept Study

Micromachines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 116
Author(s):  
Julian Deuerling ◽  
Shaun Keck ◽  
Inasya Moelyadi ◽  
Jens-Uwe Repke ◽  
Matthias Rädle
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Aperture ◽  
Spot Size ◽  
Measuring System ◽  
Optical Systems ◽  
Measurement Technology ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Measuring Point ◽  
Acetone Concentration ◽  
Micro Channels ◽  
Set Up

This work presents a novel method for the non-invasive, in-line monitoring of mixing processes in microchannels using the Raman photometric technique. The measuring set-up distinguishes itself from other works in this field by utilizing recent state-of-the-art customized photon multiplier (CPM) detectors, bypassing the use of a spectrometer. This addresses the limiting factor of integration times by achieving measuring rates of 10 ms. The method was validated using the ternary system of toluene–water–acetone. The optical measuring system consists of two functional units: the coaxial Raman probe optimized for excitation at a laser wavelength of 532 nm and the photometric detector centered around the CPMs. The spot size of the focused laser is a defining factor of the spatial resolution of the set-up. The depth of focus is measured at approx. 85 µm with a spot size of approx. 45 µm, while still maintaining a relatively high numerical aperture of 0.42, the latter of which is also critical for coaxial detection of inelastically scattered photons. The working distance in this set-up is 20 mm. The microchannel is a T-junction mixer with a square cross section of 500 by 500 µm, a hydraulic diameter of 500 µm and 70 mm channel length. The extraction of acetone from toluene into water is tracked at an initial concentration of 25% as a function of flow rate and accordingly residence time. The investigated flow rates ranged from 0.1 mL/min to 0.006 mL/min. The residence times from the T-junction to the measuring point varies from 1.5 to 25 s. At 0.006 mL/min a constant acetone concentration of approx. 12.6% was measured, indicating that the mixing process reached the equilibrium of the system at approx. 12.5%. For prototype benchmarking, comparative measurements were carried out with a commercially available Raman spectrometer (RXN1, Kaiser Optical Systems, Ann Arbor, MI, USA). Count rates of the spectrophotometer surpassed those of the spectrometer by at least one order of magnitude at identical target concentrations and optical power output. The experimental data demonstrate the suitability and potential of the new measuring system to detect locally and time-resolved concentration profiles in moving fluids while avoiding external influence.

scholarly journals A hybrid broadband metalens operating at ultraviolet frequencies

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Farhan Ali ◽  
Serap Aksu
Keyword(s):  
Dielectric Material ◽  
Berry Phase ◽  
Uv Light ◽  
Fdtd Method ◽  
Numerical Aperture ◽  
Limited Range ◽  
Unit Cell ◽  
Dielectric Constants ◽  
Phase Method ◽  
Frequency Range

AbstractThe investigation on metalenses have been rapidly developing, aiming to bring compact optical devices with superior properties to the market. Realizing miniature optics at the UV frequency range in particular has been challenging as the available transparent materials have limited range of dielectric constants. In this work we introduce a low absorption loss and low refractive index dielectric material magnesium oxide, MgO, as an ideal candidate for metalenses operating at UV frequencies. We theoretically investigate metalens designs capable of efficient focusing over a broad UV frequency range (200–400 nm). The presented metalenses are composed of sub-wavelength MgO nanoblocks, and characterized according to the geometric Pancharatnam–Berry phase method using FDTD method. The presented broadband metalenses can focus the incident UV light on tight focal spots (182 nm) with high numerical aperture ($$\hbox {NA}\approx 0.8$$ NA ≈ 0.8 ). The polarization conversion efficiency of the metalens unit cell and focusing efficiency of the total metalens are calculated to be as high as 94%, the best value reported in UV range so far. In addition, the metalens unit cell can be hybridized to enable lensing at multiple polarization states. The presented highly efficient MgO metalenses can play a vital role in the development of UV nanophotonic systems and could pave the way towards the world of miniaturization.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document