Infrared up-conversion microscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9709789-B2
Application number	US-201414760694-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2014
Priority date	Jan 31, 2013
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

There is presented an up-conversion infrared microscope ( 110 ) arranged for imaging an associated object ( 130 ), wherein the up-conversion infrared microscope ( 110 ) comprises a non-linear crystal ( 120 ) arranged for up-conversion of infrared electromagnetic radiation, and wherein an objective optical component ( 100 ) has an entrance pupil with a first diameter D 1 , and an optical component system which is arranged for forming an external image ( 136 ) of the back-focal plane ( 132 ) of the objective optical component ( 100 ), which has a diameter (given by the diameter of a circle enclosing all optical paths at the plane of the 10 external image) which is denominated D 2 and wherein D 1 is larger than a second diameter D 2 .

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An up-conversion infrared microscope arranged for imaging an associated object, wherein the up-conversion infrared microscope comprises:
a non-linear crystal arranged for up-conversion of infrared electromagnetic radiation, the non-linear crystal being placed on an optical axis of the microscope,
an optical component system being placed on the optical axis between
a plane configured for comprising the associated object, and
the non-linear crystal,

wherein the optical component system comprises:
an objective optical component having an entrance pupil with a first diameter,
a primary optical component subsystem comprising:
a first optical component and/or
a second optical component,

which enables forming a first image of a back-focal plane of the objective optical component, wherein the first image is formed in an infinity space on the optical axis of the microscope after the primary optical component subsystem,
a secondary optical component subsystem comprising:
a third optical component and/or
a fourth optical component,

which enables forming a second image of a back-focal plane of the objective optical component, wherein the second image is formed in an infinity space on the optical axis of the microscope after the secondary optical component subsystem,

wherein the optical component system is arranged for forming an external image of the back-focal plane of the objective optical component, wherein the external image is formed in an infinity space on the optical axis after the optical component system,
wherein during use a bundle of optical paths extend from the associated object, via the entrance pupil through the optical component system, and through the non-linear crystal, and
wherein the non-linear crystal is placed so that the external image is situated within the non-linear crystal or within a distance Dei-nlc from the non-linear crystal given by
Dei - nlc=n ( D 2/ D 1)( D 2+ w 0) F /( R ),

wherein
F is a focal length of the objective optical component,
R is a radius of an area of the associated sample which the microscope is arranged for imaging,
w 0 is a diameter of the narrow band light, and
n is a refractive index of a medium in the microscope, and
wherein an intersection between the bundle of optical paths and a plane comprising the external image defines an area with a second diameter, and
wherein the first diameter is larger than the second diameter, and
wherein the optical component system comprises:
at least one refractive lens, and/or
at least three curved mirrors.

2. The up-conversion infrared microscope according to claim 1 wherein the first diameter is at least 2 times larger than the second diameter.

3. The up-conversion infrared microscope according to claim 1 , wherein the second diameter D 2 is less than 3 mm.

4. The up-conversion infrared microscope according to claim 1 , wherein the first diameter D 1 is at least 3 mm.

5. The up-conversion infrared microscope according to claim 1 , wherein the working distance of the microscope is at least as large as the second diameter D 2 .

6. The up-conversion infrared microscope according to claim 1 , wherein the microscope comprises:
an x-y-stage that is motorized, wherein an x-y-plane is parallel to the plane configured for comprising the associated object,
a photo-detector arranged to be able to record an up-converted microscopy image of the associated object,
a controller arranged for controlling the x-y-stage and the photo-detector, so as to obtain a plurality of up-converted scanning images of the associated object, each of which scanning images corresponds to a separate position of the associated object with respect to the optical axis of the microscope.

7. The up-conversion infrared microscope according to claim 1 , wherein a first distance from the end of the primary optical component subsystem to the first image of the back focal plane of the objective optical component is smaller than a second distance from the end of the secondary optical component subsystem to the second image of the back focal plane of the objective optical component.

8. The up-conversion infrared microscope according to claim 1 , wherein the primary optical component subsystem comprises the first optical component and the second optical component.

9. The up-conversion infrared microscope according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary optical component subsystem comprises the third optical component and the fourth optical component.

10. The up-conversion infrared microscope according to claim 1 , wherein a primary infinity space is situated along the optical axis between the objective optical component and the primary optical component subsystem, and, wherein the first image is a phase-conserving image of the back focal plane of the objective optical component.

11. The up-conversion infrared microscope according to claim 1 , wherein the microscope further comprises:
an eyepiece enabling an associated human observer to visually observe the microscopy image of the associated object through the eyepiece, and/or
a photo-detector, which is capable of detecting the microscopy image of the associated object and converting the microscopy image to corresponding spatially resolved image data.

12. The up-conversion infrared microscope according to claim 1 , wherein the up-conversion infrared microscope is arranged so as to enable imaging of the associated object, wherein the associated object is closer to the objective optical component than a first image of the associated object within the microscope.

13. The up-conversion infrared microscope according to claim 1 , further comprising a light source, arranged for emitting a beam of narrow band light, onto the non-linear crystal, which beam of narrow band light, during use provides energy for the up-conversion.

14. The up-conversion infrared microscope according to claim 1 , further comprising a light source, arranged for emitting a beam of narrow band light, onto the non-linear crystal, which beam of narrow band light, is arranged for having a diameter of w 0 at the non-linear crystal.

15. The up-conversion infrared microscope according to claim 1 , wherein the bundle of optical paths extends from the associated object when the associated object is being placed
on the optical axis of the microscope, and
in the plane configured for comprising the associated object which plane is coinciding with a front focal plane of the optical component system.

16. The up-conversion infrared microscope according to claim 1 , further comprising the associated object.

17. A method of using the microscope according to claim 1 for providing up-converted EMR so as to form a microscopy image based on the up-converted EMR and/or for obtaining spectral information from the associated object comprising analyzing an associated object with the microscope of claim 1 .

18. A method for providing forming a microscopy image of an associated object wherein the microscopy image is based on infrared electromagnetic radiation emitted from the object, the method comprising:
redirecting electromagnetic radiation from the associated object using an optical component system being placed on an optical axis between a plane configured for comprising the associated object, and a non-linear crystal, the optical component system comprising:
an objective optical component having an entrance pupil with a first diameter,
a primary optical component subsystem comprising a first optical component and/or a second optical component, w

Assignees

• Univ Danmarks Tekniske

Inventors

• Dam Jeppe Seidelin
• Pedersen Christian
• Sanders Nicolai Højer
• Tidemand-Lichtenberg Peter

Classifications

• G02B21/367

  providing an output produced by processing a plurality of individual source images, e.g. image tiling, montage, composite images, depth sectioning, image comparison · CPC title

• G02B21/002

  Scanning microscopes (scanning near field optical microscopes G01Q60/18) · CPC title

• G02F1/353

  Frequency conversion, i.e. wherein a light beam is generated with frequency components different from those of the incident light beams · CPC title

• G02F2001/3503

  Physics · mapped topic

• G02B21/361

  Optical details, e.g. image relay to the camera or image sensor (G02B21/364 takes precedence; illumination details G02B21/06 and subgroups) · CPC title