Methodology for the rapid design of an objective lens for multiphoton microscopy from off-the-shelf lenses with no a priori design

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. Young
Author(s):  
H.S. von Harrach ◽  
D.E. Jesson ◽  
S.J. Pennycook

Phase contrast TEM has been the leading technique for high resolution imaging of materials for many years, whilst STEM has been the principal method for high-resolution microanalysis. However, it was demonstrated many years ago that low angle dark-field STEM imaging is a priori capable of almost 50% higher point resolution than coherent bright-field imaging (i.e. phase contrast TEM or STEM). This advantage was not exploited until Pennycook developed the high-angle annular dark-field (ADF) technique which can provide an incoherent image showing both high image resolution and atomic number contrast.This paper describes the design and first results of a 300kV field-emission STEM (VG Microscopes HB603U) which has improved ADF STEM image resolution towards the 1 angstrom target. The instrument uses a cold field-emission gun, generating a 300 kV beam of up to 1 μA from an 11-stage accelerator. The beam is focussed on to the specimen by two condensers and a condenser-objective lens with a spherical aberration coefficient of 1.0 mm.


1997 ◽  
Vol 3 (S2) ◽  
pp. 307-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
John White ◽  
Victoria Centonze ◽  
David Wokosin ◽  
William Mohler

Multiphoton fluorescence excitation imaging is an optical sectioning technique for fluorescence microscopy. At very high photon densities, two or more photons may coordinately excite an energy transition in a fluorophore that corresponds to the sum of the energies of the individual photons. by this means, a fluorophore may be excited by a wavelength that is considerably longer than its single photon excitation wavelength. Ultra-fast pulsed (femtosecond) lasers can produce the peak power densities in the focal volume of an objective lens needed to provide sufficient 2- or 3- photon excitation events for imaging. The use of short-pulse lasers provides the high peak powers necessary for imaging yet with modest mean power levels that do not thermally damage biological specimens. Production of multiphoton events depends on the square of photon density for 2-photon excitation and the cube of photon density for 3-photon excitation. The power density therefore rapidly falls off away from the focal volume of an objective lens, thereby confining fluorescence excitation to the focal volume.


Author(s):  
K. Tsuno ◽  
T. Honda ◽  
Y. Harada ◽  
M. Naruse

Developement of computer technology provides much improvements on electron microscopy, such as simulation of images, reconstruction of images and automatic controll of microscopes (auto-focussing and auto-correction of astigmatism) and design of electron microscope lenses by using a finite element method (FEM). In this investigation, procedures for simulating the optical properties of objective lenses of HREM and the characteristics of the new lens for HREM at 200 kV are described.The process for designing the objective lens is divided into three stages. Stage 1 is the process for estimating the optical properties of the lens. Firstly, calculation by FEM is made for simulating the axial magnetic field distributions Bzc of the lens. Secondly, electron ray trajectory is numerically calculated by using Bzc. And lastly, using Bzc and ray trajectory, spherical and chromatic aberration coefficients Cs and Cc are numerically calculated. Above calculations are repeated by changing the shape of lens until! to find an optimum aberration coefficients.


Author(s):  
Louis T. Germinario

A liquid nitrogen stage has been developed for the JEOL JEM-100B electron microscope equipped with a scanning attachment. The design is a modification of the standard JEM-100B SEM specimen holder with specimen cooling to any temperatures In the range ~ 55°K to room temperature. Since the specimen plane is maintained at the ‘high resolution’ focal position of the objective lens and ‘bumping’ and thermal drift la minimized by supercooling the liquid nitrogen, the high resolution capability of the microscope is maintained (Fig.4).


Author(s):  
K. Shibatomi ◽  
T. Yamanoto ◽  
H. Koike

In the observation of a thick specimen by means of a transmission electron microscope, the intensity of electrons passing through the objective lens aperture is greatly reduced. So that the image is almost invisible. In addition to this fact, it have been reported that a chromatic aberration causes the deterioration of the image contrast rather than that of the resolution. The scanning electron microscope is, however, capable of electrically amplifying the signal of the decreasing intensity, and also free from a chromatic aberration so that the deterioration of the image contrast due to the aberration can be prevented. The electrical improvement of the image quality can be carried out by using the fascionating features of the SEM, that is, the amplification of a weak in-put signal forming the image and the descriminating action of the heigh level signal of the background. This paper reports some of the experimental results about the thickness dependence of the observability and quality of the image in the case of the transmission SEM.


Author(s):  
R.A. Ploc

The optic axis of an electron microscope objective lens is usually assumed to be straight and co-linear with the mechanical center. No reason exists to assume such perfection and, indeed, simple reasoning suggests that it is a complicated curve. A current centered objective lens with a non-linear optic axis when used in conjunction with other lenses, leads to serious image errors if the nature of the specimen is such as to produce intense inelastic scattering.


Author(s):  
William Krakow

An electronic device has been constructed which manipulates the primary beam in the conventional transmission microscope to illuminate a specimen under a variety of virtual condenser aperture conditions. The device uses the existing tilt coils of the microscope, and modulates the D.C. signals to both x and y tilt directions simultaneously with various waveforms to produce Lissajous figures in the back-focal plane of the objective lens. Electron diffraction patterns can be recorded which reflect the manner in which the direct beam is tilted during exposure of a micrograph. The device has been utilized mainly for the hollow cone imaging mode where the device provides a microscope transfer function without zeros in all spatial directions and has produced high resolution images which are also free from the effect of chromatic aberration. A standard second condenser aperture is employed and the width of the cone annulus is readily controlled by defocusing the second condenser lens.


Author(s):  
T. Yanaka ◽  
K. Shirota

It is significant to note field aberrations (chromatic field aberration, coma, astigmatism and blurring due to curvature of field, defined by Glaser's aberration theory relative to the Blenden Freien System) of the objective lens in connection with the following three points of view; field aberrations increase as the resolution of the axial point improves by increasing the lens excitation (k2) and decreasing the half width value (d) of the axial lens field distribution; when one or all of the imaging lenses have axial imperfections such as beam deflection in image space by the asymmetrical magnetic leakage flux, the apparent axial point has field aberrations which prevent the theoretical resolution limit from being obtained.


Author(s):  
J. S. Lally ◽  
R. Evans

One of the instrumental factors often limiting the resolution of the electron microscope is image defocussing due to changes in accelerating voltage or objective lens current. This factor is particularly important in high voltage electron microscopes both because of the higher voltages and lens currents required but also because of the inherently longer focal lengths, i.e. 6 mm in contrast to 1.5-2.2 mm for modern short focal length objectives.The usual practice in commercial electron microscopes is to design separately stabilized accelerating voltage and lens supplies. In this case chromatic aberration in the image is caused by the random and independent fluctuations of both the high voltage and objective lens current.


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