Optical Microscopy

We will introduce the basic tools necessary to understand optical microscopy, discuss the essential physical phenomena, and survey the main microscopy techniques.

1. Microscopy contrasts, applications, and challenges; layout of a microscope.

2. Basic concepts, selected types of optical microscopes.

3. Monochromatic field propagation, diffraction.

4. Field propagation through a lens, imaging.

5. Interference-based imaging techniques: optical coherence tomography, holographic microscopy.

6. Fluorescence.

7. Intensity and coherence propagation, light detection.

8. Three-dimensional imaging.

9. Confocal microscopy.

10. Two-photon microscopy.

11. Coherent nonlinear microscopy.

12. Structured illumination microscopy.

13. Super-resolution microscopy: stimulated emission depletion.

14. Super-resolution microscopy: localization.

15. Summary: How to build a microscope.

1. "Introduction to Optical Microscopy" by Jerome Mertz (theoretical aspects of the lecture).

2. "Handbook Of Biological Confocal Microscopy" by James B. Pawley (technical and practical aspects of the lecture).

3. "Introduction to Fourier Optics" by Joseph W. Goodman (light diffraction, propagation, imaging, Fourier transform).

4. "Optics" by Eugene Hecht (basics of optics).

The student will understand the physical foundations and the main techniques of optical microscopy. She/he will be able to identify the limitations and the essential technical aspects of the main optical microscopy techniques.

An oral exam covering the material discussed during the lectures.