Microscope Flat-Top Illumination Across Pupil and Image Planes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing microscopes face limitations in achieving coherent flat-top illumination across different microscopy methods due to substantial power losses and limitations in maintaining flat-top distribution during beam propagation, especially when using refractive or diffractive optical units.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a beam shaping unit with an adjustable optical functional group that allows for the placement of a coherent flat-top region in either the pupil plane or intermediate image plane, enabling flexible application of flat-top illumination across various microscopy techniques.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a stop or diffractive element is used to trim the laser beam, then homogeneous intensity distribution is achieved, but light power is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a refractive optical unit with a specific refractive index profile to transform the Gaussian beam into a flat-top beam. By changing the refractive index parameter through the optical unit, the beam is reshaped without blocking any light, thus achieving homogeneous intensity distribution while preserving total light power.
2Illumination intensity
If refractive or diffractive optical units are used to redistribute light power, then flat-top illumination is achieved, but the flat-top distribution is not maintained during beam propagation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic adjustable optical functional group that can switch between different operational modes. This allows the system to adapt the beam shaping characteristics in real-time, maintaining the flat-top distribution stability while enabling flexibility for different microscopy applications.
3Illumination intensity
If the phase pattern is corrected with a second phase modulator, then coherent illumination is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a single refractive optical unit that performs multiple functions: it reshapes the beam profile, corrects phase errors, and maintains coherence. By making this single component multi-functional, the system achieves coherent illumination without requiring multiple separate phase modulators, thus reducing overall device complexity.
4Illumination intensity
If DOEs are used for beam shaping, then flat-top illumination is achieved, but they are optimized for specific wavelength (monochromatic)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a refractive optical unit with a refractive index that can be tuned or designed to work across multiple wavelengths. This allows the same optical unit to maintain flat-top illumination characteristics for different wavelengths, providing wavelength adaptability unlike fixed-wavelength DOEs.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables extended use of flat-top illuminations in different microscopy methods, enhancing versatility and efficiency by minimizing power loss and maintaining coherent illumination throughout the beam path.
Implementation Method 1
Shaping the intensity profile of a laser beam by way of redistributing the light power is possible both with refractive optical units, in particular using aspherical lenses
Implementation Method 2
with diffractive components such as DOEs (DOE=diffractive optical element) or SLMs
Data Source
AI summary
A microscope for examining a sample comprising a light source for providing illumination light for illuminating a sample, an illumination beam path comprising a microscope objective for guiding the illumination light onto the sample, a detector for detecting emission light emitted by the sample, a detection beam path comprising a microscope objective for guiding the emission light onto the detector, and a control unit for controlling the light source and for evaluating measurement data from the detector. The illumination beam path has a beam shaping unit for providing a coherent flat-top region and an adjustable optical functional group, wherein, depending on the setting state of the adjustable optical functional group, at least one coherent flat-top region is situated in the region of a pupil plane or at least one coherent flat-top region is situated in the region of an intermediate image plane. A method of microscopy for examining a sample is described.