Group refractive index reconstruction with broadband interferometric confocal microscopy
US8218152B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 3, 2008 |
| Grant date | Jul 10, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 27, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2021/1787
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A system and method for microscale measurement and imaging of the group refractive index of a sample. The method utilizes a broadband confocal high-numerical aperture microscope embedded into an interferometer and a spectrometric means, whereby spectral interferograms are analyzed to compute optical path delay of the beam traversing the sample as the sample is translated through the focus of an interrogating light beam. A determination of group refractive index may serve to disambiguate phase ambiguity in a measurement of refractive index at a specified wavelength. Spatial resolution of object characterization in three dimensions is achieved by imaging the object from multiple viewpoints.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.