Expand this Topic clickable element to expand a topic
Skip to content
Optica Publishing Group

The Polanret Microscope

Not Accessible

Your library or personal account may give you access

Abstract

Variable contrast in the image of non-uniform objects is obtained by polarizing orthogonally the deviated and undeviated bundles of light due to diffraction by the object. Advantage is taken of this orthogonality of polarization to effect variable phase difference between, and variable amplitude ratio of the deviated and undeviated bundles. These modified, interfering bundles produce the image and permit continuously variable contrast.

Of many possible polanret systems two are described. In the preferred system, the phase difference between the deviated and undeviated bundles is varied throughout one wave-length by rotation of the polarizer, and the amplitude ratio is varied practically in all proportions by rotation of the analyzer. The light is plane polarized either before or after passage through the object, passes through a uniform quarter-wave plate, through the zonal polarizer, and finally through the analyzer. The zonal polarizer consists of two thin, adjoining, plane-polarizing elements oriented at right angles. One element covers the image of the condenser diaphragm as formed by the intervening lenses of the condenser and objective, the other, the remaining area of the clear aperture. The principal axes of the quarter-wave plate bisect the transmission directions of the zonal polarizer.

Wide range in contrast has been obtained with experimental polanret systems with microscope objectives of long focal length.

© 1947 Optical Society of America

Full Article  |  PDF Article
More Like This
Simplified polanret system for microscopy

Maksymilian Pluta
Appl. Opt. 28(8) 1453-1466 (1989)

The Measurement of Unresolved, Single Particles of Uniform Thickness by Means of Variable Phase Microscopy*

Harold Osterberg and Gilbert E. Pride
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 40(2) 64-73 (1950)

Improvements in Microscope Illumination

James R. Benford
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 37(8) 642-647 (1947)

Cited By

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Cited by links are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an Optica member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Login to access Optica Member Subscription

Figures (4)

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Figure files are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an Optica member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Login to access Optica Member Subscription

Equations (3)

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Equations are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an Optica member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Login to access Optica Member Subscription

Select as filters


Select Topics Cancel
© Copyright 2024 | Optica Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved