An optical scanning system includes a radiating source capable of outputting a light beam, a time varying beam reflector that is configured to reflect the light beam through a scan lens towards a transparent sample at an incident angle that is not more than one degree greater or less than Brewster's angle of the transparent sample, and a focusing lens configured to be irradiated by light scattered from the transparent sample at an angle that is normal to the plane of incidence of the moving irradiated spot on the transparent sample. A first portion of the light beam is scattered from a first surface of the transparent sample and a second portion of the light beam is scattered from a second surface of the transparent sample. A spatial filter is configured to block the second portion of the light beam scattered from the second surface of the transparent sample.

In a multi-color CARS microscope, it has been difficult to accurately bring optical axes of pump light and Stokes light into correspondence and to stably acquire a spectral signal. Accordingly, in an optical analysis device, CARS light is generated from, a sample by using a residual component of the pump light introduced to an optical waveguide and the Stokes light generated in an optical waveguide.

Various embodiments related to systems and methods for instant structured microscopy where total internal reflection fluorescence techniques are used to improve optical sectioning and signal-to-noise ratio of structured illumination microscopy are herein disclosed.

Multifocal photoacoustic imaging systems and methods that implement an ergodic relay to encode photoacoustic signals detected from a plurality of illuminated optical foci regions.

A fluorescence lifetime sensor module comprises an opaque housing having a first chamber and a second chamber which are separated by a light barrier. An optical emitter is arranged in the first chamber and configured to emit through a first aperture. Emission of pulses of light of a specified wavelength is arranged to optically excite a fluorescent probe to be positioned in front of the sensor module. A detector is arranged in the second chamber and configured to detect through a second aperture received photons from the fluorescent probe. A measurement block is configured to determine respective difference values representative of an arrival time of one of the received photons with respect to the emission pulses. A histogram block is configured to accumulate the difference values in a histogram. A processing circuit is configured to compute time-of-flight values based on an evaluation of the histogram, compute a fluorescence lifetime from the time-of-flight values and generate an output signal being indicative of the fluorescence lifetime of the fluorescent probe. A control unit is configured to initiate pulsed emission of the optical emitter.

A surveying instrument comprises a projection optical system for irradiating a distance measuring light which is a linearly-polarized light to an object to be measured, a light receiving optical system for receiving a reflected distance measuring light from the object to be measured, a polarization selecting module for selecting a polarization of the reflected distance measuring light received by the light receiving optical system and an arithmetic control module for controlling a distance measurement based on a light receiving result of the reflected distance measuring light, wherein the arithmetic control module is configured to give a material information to a distance measurement result of the object to be measured based on a change in light receiving amounts caused due to a selection of the polarization by the polarization selecting module.

A foreign substance inspection apparatus performs foreign substance detection processing of detecting a foreign substance present on a surface of a substrate. The apparatus includes a detector that includes a projector configured to project light onto the surface and an optical receiver configured to receive scattered light from the surface, a scanning mechanism configured to scan a position on the surface onto which the light is projected by the projector, and a controller configured to control the foreign substance detection processing so that detection of the foreign substance is performed on a detection region which is a region excluding, from the surface, an exclusion region where a step is present thereon, wherein the controller controls the projection by the projector so that light is not projected to the step.

The present application provides a method of detecting an amount of a treatment agent, such as a flocculating agent, in a process stream comprising the step of measuring at least one absorption property of a sample obtained from the process stream at a wavelength of less than about 250 nm. Processes and systems for monitoring and regulating addition of treatment agents to process streams are also provided.

Provided are a method and an apparatus for inspecting an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask at a high speed with high optical efficiency, and a method of manufacturing the EUV mask, wherein the method of inspecting the EUV mask is included in the method of manufacturing the EUV mask. The apparatus for inspecting the EUV mask includes a light source configured to generate and output light, a linear zone plate configured to convert the light from the light source to light having a linear form, a slit plate configured to output the light having the linear form by removing a higher-order diffracted light component from the light having the linear form, a stage on which the EUV mask is located, and a detector configured to detect the light reflected from the EUV mask, in response to the light being irradiated onto and reflected from the EUV mask.

Embodiments related to systems and methods for instant structured microscopy where total internal reflection fluorescence techniques are used to improve optical sectioning and signal-to-noise ratio of structured illumination microscopy are disclosed.