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Use of a white light supercontinuum laser for confocal interference‐reflection microscopy
Author(s) -
CHIU L.D.,
SU L.,
REICHELT S.,
AMOS W.B.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.2012.03603.x
Subject(s) - supercontinuum , optics , monochromatic color , laser , confocal , microscope , materials science , microscopy , light sheet fluorescence microscopy , interference microscopy , confocal microscopy , interferometry , white light interferometry , interference (communication) , optoelectronics , wavelength , physics , scanning confocal electron microscopy , computer science , computer network , channel (broadcasting) , photonic crystal fiber
Summary Shortly after its development, the white light supercontinuum laser was applied to confocal scanning microscopy as a more versatile substitute for the multiple monochromatic lasers normally used for the excitation of fluorescence. This light source is now available coupled to commercial confocal fluorescence microscopes. We have evaluated a supercontinuum laser as a source for a different purpose: confocal interferometric imaging of living cells and artificial models by interference reflection. We used light in the range 460–700 nm where this source provides a reasonably flat spectrum, and obtained images free from fringe artefacts caused by the longer coherence length of conventional lasers. We have also obtained images of cytoskeletal detail that is difficult to see with a monochromatic laser.