“School of Nano-Sciences”
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| Paper IPM / Nano-Sciences / 16905 |
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| Abstract: | |||||
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Mueller matrix microscopy (MMM) is a powerful approach
to probe microstructural and optical information of many
important specimens (e.g., tissue and bacteria), which otherwise cannot be obtained directly from intensity or spectral images. Achieving high lateral resolution in MMM, similar to other microscopy approaches, remains a challenge. Here, we extend the idea of microsphere (MS) -assisted microscopy into MMM toward resolution-enhanced polarimetric
imaging. The goal is achieved by insertion of a transparent
MS in the working distance of the imaging microscope
objective in the optical train of anMMMsystem.We experimentally show that an MS close to the sample in MMM
may increase the resolution beyond the intrinsic diffraction
limit of the system by redirecting the higher spatial frequencies of the sample into the acceptance cone. In order to be a case in point, the experiment is conducted on a standard holographic diffraction grating with 1 mio m line-width, which is beyond the diffraction limit of a 10x objective. Two-dimensional images of the Mueller matrix and some of the widely used quantitative polarimetric parameters of the sample are calculated and compared in the two cases
before and after insertion of MS. The proposed arrangement
is easy to implement and has the potential to serve as a high-resolution polarimetric microscope for visualizing
the polarization characteristics of the microscopic objects.
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