Abstract

Cell biologists have long known that the transmission Nomarski microscope is extremely useful in imaging complex phase objects. Its ability to reveal minute variations in optical phase allows the imaging of unstained, transparent objects. It also has excellent depth discrimination; out-of-focus objects tend to disappear rather than blur the in-focus image. Despite the Nomarski microscope’s wide use, a quantitative, diffraction-based model describing its three-dimensional (3-D) imaging properties has, to our knowledge, not been developed.

© 1992 Optical Society of America