Lesson plan
Classical interference microscopy
Classical interference microscopy, also called quantitative interference microscopy, uses two separate light beams with much greater lateral separation than that used in phase contrast microscopy or in differential interference microscopy (DIC). In variants of the interference microscope where object and reference beam pass through the same objective, two images are produced of every object (one being the "ghost image"). The two images are separated either laterally within the visual field or at different focal planes, as determined by the optical principles employed. These two images can be a nuisance when they overlap, since they can severely affect the accuracy of mass thickness measurements. Rotation of the preparation may thus be necessary, as in the case of DIC. One of the first usable interference microscopes was designed by Dyson and manufactured by Cooke, Troughton & Simms (later Vickers Instruments) in York, England. This ingenious optical system achieved interference imaging without requiring polarizing elements in the beam path. A later popular design involving polarizing elements was designed by Smith and marketed first by C. Baker, London, and subsequently by the American Optical Company in the United States.…
Article summary
Classical interference microscopy, also called quantitative interference microscopy, uses two separate light beams with much greater lateral separation than that used in phase contrast microscopy or in differential interference microscopy (DIC). In variants of the interference microscope where object and reference beam pass through the same objective, two images are produced of every object (one being the "ghost image"). The two images are separated either laterally within the visual field or at different focal planes, as determined by the optical principles employed. These two images can be a nuisance when they overlap, since they can severely affect the accuracy of mass thickness measurements. Rotation of the preparation may thus be necessary, as in the case of DIC. One of the first usable interference microscopes was designed by Dyson and manufactured by Cooke, Troughton & Simms (later Vickers Instruments) in York, England. This ingenious optical system achieved interference imaging without requiring polarizing elements in the beam path. A later popular design involving polarizing elements was designed by Smith and marketed first by C. Baker, London, and subsequently by the American Optical Company in the United States.…
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Discussion questions
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- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
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