Interferometric microscopy or imaging interferometric microscopy is the concept of microscopy which
is related to
holography
Holography is a technique that allows a wavefront to be recorded and later reconstructed. It is best known as a method of generating three-dimensional images, and has a wide range of other uses, including data storage, microscopy, and interfe ...
,
synthetic-aperture imaging, and
off-axis-dark-field illumination techniques.
Interferometric microscopy allows enhancement of resolution of
optical microscopy
Optics is the branch of physics that studies the behaviour and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behaviour of visible, ultravio ...
due to interferometric (
holographic
Holography is a technique that allows a wavefront to be recorded and later reconstructed. It is best known as a method of generating three-dimensional images, and has a wide range of other uses, including data storage, microscopy, and interfe ...
)
registration of several partial images (amplitude and phase) and the numerical combining.
Combining of partial images
In interferometric microscopy, the image of a micro-object is synthesized numerically as a coherent combination
of partial images with registered amplitude and phase.
For registration of partial images, a conventional
holographic
Holography is a technique that allows a wavefront to be recorded and later reconstructed. It is best known as a method of generating three-dimensional images, and has a wide range of other uses, including data storage, microscopy, and interfe ...
set-up is used with a reference wave, as is usual in optical
holography
Holography is a technique that allows a wavefront to be recorded and later reconstructed. It is best known as a method of generating three-dimensional images, and has a wide range of other uses, including data storage, microscopy, and interfe ...
. Capturing multiple exposures allows the numerical emulation of a large
numerical aperture
In optics, the numerical aperture (NA) of an optical system is a dimensionless number that characterizes the range of angles over which the system can accept or emit light. By incorporating index of refraction in its definition, has the property ...
objective from images obtained with an objective lens with smaller-value numerical aperture.
Similar techniques allows scanning and precise detection of small particles.
[
]
As the combined image keeps both amplitude and phase information, the interferometric microscopy can be especially efficient for the phase objects,
allowing detection of light variations of index of refraction, which cause the phase shift or the light passing through for a small fraction of a radian.
Non-optical waves
Although the Interferometric microscopy has been demonstrated only for optical images (visible light), this technique may find application in high resolution
atom optics
Atom optics (or atomic optics) "refers to techniques to manipulate the trajectories and exploit the wave properties of neutral atoms". Typical experiments employ beams of cold, slowly moving neutral atoms, as a special case of a particle beam. Li ...
, or optics of
neutral atom beams (see
Atomic de Broglie microscope), where the Numerical aperture is usually very limited
.
See also
*
Digital holographic microscopy
Digital holographic microscopy (DHM) is digital holography applied to microscopy. Digital holographic microscopy distinguishes itself from other microscopy methods by not recording the projected image of the object. Instead, the light wave front ...
*
Holography
Holography is a technique that allows a wavefront to be recorded and later reconstructed. It is best known as a method of generating three-dimensional images, and has a wide range of other uses, including data storage, microscopy, and interfe ...
*
Numerical aperture
In optics, the numerical aperture (NA) of an optical system is a dimensionless number that characterizes the range of angles over which the system can accept or emit light. By incorporating index of refraction in its definition, has the property ...
*
Raman microscope
*
Diffraction limited
In optics, any optical instrument or systema microscope, telescope, or camerahas a principal limit to its resolution due to the physics of diffraction. An optical instrument is said to be diffraction-limited if it has reached this limit of res ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Interferometric Microscopy
Microscopy
Interferometry
Atomic, molecular, and optical physics
Holography