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A Polarizing Microscope for Mapping Birefringent Objects in 3D Space

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2018

Michael Shribak  and
Rudolf Oldenbourg
Michael Shribak*
Affiliation:
Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole
Rudolf Oldenbourg
Affiliation:
Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole
*
[email protected]

Extract

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The traditional polarizing microscope equipped with crossed linear polarizers shows a picture in which the image contrast of a birefringent object depends on both the amount of relative retardation induced by the object and the orientation of its principal axis. For example, if the orientation of the principal axis is parallel to one of the polarizers, then the birefringent object becomes invisible. For best visibility, the principal axis must be oriented at 45° to the polarizers. In addition, the image intensity of the object is proportional to the square of the sine of the relative phase shift between the ordinary and the extraordinary ray passing through the object. The addition of a waveplate as compensator to the optical train provides the opportunity to improve the contrast and measure the relative retardation, but the principal restrictions of orientation dependence and non-linear image contrast remains.

Type
Research Article
Information
Microscopy Today , Volume 11 , Issue 6 , December 2003 , pp. 42 - 47
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 2003

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