Polychromatic polarization state generator and its application for real-time birefringence imaging

摘要

Apparatus for generating polychromatic polarized light with the polarization ellipse orientation determined by the wavelength. The proposed polychromatic polarization state generator can be used in various configurations of polarized light microscope (called “polychromatic polscope”) for imaging birefringent samples. The polychromatic polscope produces a spectral-modulated visual scene, in which birefringent structures are evident because their appearance is different from the background. New polarized light microscope can subtract the background and produce video-enhanced color image of birefringent structures. The obtained picture can be also mathematically processed in order to obtain a map of quantitative distribution of specimen retardation and orientation of the principal axes.

主权项

1. A polychromatic polarization state generator comprising:
an optical system for selectively transmitting light with selected spectrum; a polarizer for selectively transmitting light that has a selected polarization state; a polarization converter for transforming the initial selected polarization state into a set of output polarization states, which polarization ellipses have selected ellipticity and dependence of the major axis orientation of the polarization ellipses on the wavelength is a one-to-one function in the selected spectral domain.