Fourier imaging of phase information in scanning and conventional optical microscopes

Abstract

The imaging performance of scanning microscopes may be improved by introducing a pinhole in the detector plane, thus forming a confocal (or type 2) scanning microscope. A general imaging theory is developed from which the performance of scanning and conventional microscopes may be investigated. Various methods of obtaining phase imaging are considered, including the effects of defocus, Zernike phase contrast, and interference and resonant microscopy.