Abstract:
Several heterodyne microscopes are illustrated herein in which light from a point source is directed to interfere with light scattered from an object to provide a large area interference pattern representing a point on that object. Scanning apparatus varies the interference pattern to represent different object points. Conventional heterodyne signal processing apparatus processes light from the interference pattern to provide an image. The resolution of the image is determined by the size of the point source and by the percentage of the area of the interference pattern from which the processing apparatus receives signals. A high resolution image is obtained by using a small pinhole aperture to provide the point source and by using a diffusive surface to receive and scatter light from the interference pattern to the signal processing apparatus.
Abstract:
An image is formed by generating a large number of simple interference patterns and sequentially projecting those interference patterns onto an organic dye cell amplifier. The amplifier absorbs energy from the interference patterns and uses the absorbed energy to modulate a beam of laser light to provide a sequence of output signals. No one output signal comprises a complete image, and a large number of output signals must be integrated or superimposed in order to form an image. However, the output signals are generated at such a fast rate that an observer''s eyes will integrate those signals so that the observer perceives them as a complete image. The observer''s eyes integrate successive output images to perceive a changing scene.