title: Quantitative polarized light microscopy.
abstract: We describe a simple modification to a confocal microscope, which analyses the state of polarization of light emerging from the specimen so as to permit quantitative polarized light microscopy to be performed. The system uses a novel form of rotating analyser which, together with lock-in detection, permits images to be obtained where the image contrast corresponds to both specimen retardance and orientation (e.g. in the case of a birefringent specimen). Images are presented from a wide range of specimens and the origin of the contrast observed from simple point scatterers is investigated both theoretically and experimentally.
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Parks Road, UK.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Massoumian
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Juskaitis
authors.forename: M A A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Neil
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wilson