title: High-resolution three-dimensional tomographic diffractive microscopy of transparent inorganic and biological samples.
abstract: We have developed a tomographic diffractive microscope, equipped with a fluorescence confocal scanner. We measure experimentally the lateral resolution using an edge method and by comparing tomographic images of the same samples with wide-field and laser scanning confocal microscopy images; a scanning electron microscope image serves as a reference. The experimental resolution is shown to be to about 130 nm, or lambda/(3.5 NA). This instrument also permits one to measure 3D, complex index of refraction distributions, a quantity that is not accessible to conventional microscopes, and we show how this feature may be used to observe KCl crystals, absorption of which is very weak.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Modélisation, Intelligence, Processus, Systèmes-EA2332, IUT Mulhouse, Mulhouse Cedex, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Debailleul
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Georges
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Morin
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Haeberlé