Systems, methods, and apparatus for differential phase contrast microscopy by transobjective differential epi-detection of forward scattered light are provided. In some embodiments, a microscope objective comprises: a housing with mounting threads at a second end; optical components defining an optical axis, comprising: an objective lens mounted at a first end, configured to collect light from a sample placed in a field of view, the plurality of optical components create a pupil plane at a first distance along the optical axis at which rays having the same angle of incidence on the objective lens converge at the same radial distance from the optical axis; a photodetector within the housing offset from the optical axis at a second distance along the optical axis; and another photodetector within the housing at second distance along the optical axis and offset from the optical axis in the opposite direction from the first photodetector.

A super-resolution microscopic imaging method and apparatus based on common-path parallel fluorescence emission difference microscopy. In the method, a liquid crystal spatial light modulator is used to modulate excitation light in fluorescence emission difference microscopy super-resolution microscopic imaging, and two parts of the spatial light modulator are respectively loaded into 0-2π vortex phase modulation and blazed grating, so that the common-path excitation light forms solid spot and doughnut-shaped spot with a certain distance on a sample surface at the same time, and parallel scanning is carried out, thereby ensuring that the imaging speed is doubled compared with that of ordinary fluorescence emission difference super-resolution microscopic imaging, and at the same time, the two excitation lights are not easily affected by noise, drift and other interferences due to the common path.

Sub-diffraction limited fluorescent images using a fiber-based stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscope are reported. Both excitation and depletion beams are transported through polarization-maintaining fiber and a lateral resolution of 100 nm has been achieved.

An apparatus for selectively shaping phase fronts of a first light beam that is incident along an optical axis and that has a first linear input polarization direction running orthogonal to the optical axis comprises birefringent optical material arranged in all or all bar one of at least three different partial areas that follow to one another in a direction around the optical axis. The optical material is arranged such that a phase of the first light beam is delayed differently in the different partial areas to an extent that increases from partial area to partial area over a round around the optical axis, whereas a phase of a second light beam that is incident along the optical axis and that has a second linear input polarization direction orthogonal to the first linear input polarization direction and to the optical axis is not delayed differently in the different partial areas.

A confocal scanner includes a first disk which comprises a plurality of microlenses, a second disk which comprises a plurality of pinholes formed to be associated with the microlenses, wherein the second disk rotates together with the first disk, a light guider which guides a plurality of rays of split light split by the microlenses within the first region to a second region set in the first disk, and a beam splitter which is disposed between the one surface of the first disk and the another surface of the second disk, wherein light which has passed through the microlenses within the second region transmits through the beam splitter, and the beam splitter reflects light incident from the second disk toward an outward side of the first disk and the second disk in a radial direction.

A segmented birefringent chromatic beam shaping device comprises at least three birefringent chromatic segments arranged side by side in a pupil of the beam shaping device. The birefringent chromatic segments are essentially nλ waveplates at a first design wavelength. At a second design wavelength, the birefringent chromatic segments are essentially (m+1/2)λ waveplates. Each of the birefringent chromatic segments comprises a stack of birefringent elements including at least three chromatic birefringent elements. Orientations of fast axes of each pair of directly consecutive chromatic birefringent elements of each of the birefringent chromatic segments differ by at least 5 deg. The at least three birefringent chromatic segments comprise same sequences of materials, thicknesses and orientations of their birefringent elements so that they only differ is their orientations in the pupil.

High-resolution 3D optical polarization tractography (OPT) images of the internal fiber structure of a target tissue. Manipulation of dual-angle imaging data of the fiber orientation inside a target tissue leads to the determination of 3D imaging properties of the target tissue, allowing transmission of the 3D image properties of the target tissue to an OPT processor to produce high-resolution 3D images.

The present disclosure provides optical image acquisition methods and devices for microscopy systems that enhance the field-of-view during image acquisition. According to aspects of the present disclosure, the methods and devices for enhancing the field-of-view of a sample during image acquisition in an optical imaging system include directing an incident electromagnetic field through a plurality of polarization-selective gratings, where each of the polarization-selective gratings is configured to apply a discrete amount of angular displacement to the incident electromagnetic field in a direction transverse or axial to the optical system's electromagnetic axis, resulting in an enhanced field-of-view during image acquisition.

To acquire an image of a sample. A microscope includes: an illumination optical system that includes a light flux splitter that splits light from a light source into a plurality of light fluxes, and scans a sample in a plurality of directions with interference fringes generated by interference of at least part of the light fluxes split by the light flux splitter; a detection optical system on which light from the sample is incident; a detection device that includes a plurality of detectors that detect the light from the sample via the detection optical system; and an image processor that generates an image using detection results of two or more of the detectors of the detection device.

A scanning microscope apparatus has a laser light to generate a beam at an excitation wavelength. A beam expander enlarges the beam width and forms a collimated beam, scanned in a raster pattern. A catadioptric objective has a curved partially transmissive mirror surface symmetric about an optical axis and disposed to focus a portion of the received scanned collimated beam toward a focal plane at the sample, wherein the mirror surface has a center of curvature either at an axis of rotation of the scanner or at an image of the axis of rotation. A reflective polarizer cooperates with the curved mirror to direct the focused light toward the sample. One or more polarization retarders condition excitation light conveyed toward and away from the curved mirror. A beam splitter separates the generated laser light from a signal and directs the signal toward a detector.