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Related Concept Videos

Phase Contrast and Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy01:26

Phase Contrast and Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy

Phase-Contrast Microscopes
In-phase-contrast microscopes, interference between light directly passing through a cell and light refracted by cellular components is used to create high-contrast, high-resolution images without staining. It is the oldest and simplest type of microscope that creates an image by altering the wavelengths of light rays passing through the specimen. Altered wavelength paths are created using an annular stop in the condenser. The annular stop produces a hollow cone of...
Three-Dimensional Microscopy in Microbiology01:28

Three-Dimensional Microscopy in Microbiology

Three-dimensional imaging techniques are essential in cell biology, allowing researchers to visualize intricate cellular structures with high resolution. Two prominent methods, Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy (DIC) and Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopy (CSLM), provide distinct advantages for imaging live and thick specimens, respectively.Differential Interference Contrast MicroscopyDIC microscopy enhances contrast in transparent, unstained samples by converting phase...
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IR Spectrometers

There are two main infrared (IR) spectrophotometers: dispersive IR spectrometers and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers. In a dispersive IR spectrometer, a beam of infrared radiation produced by a hot wire is divided into two parallel equal-intensity beams using mirrors. One beam passes through the sample, while another is a reference beam. The beams then move through the monochromator, which separates the radiations into a continuous spectrum of different frequencies. The...
Super-resolution Fluorescence Microscopy01:37

Super-resolution Fluorescence Microscopy

Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy (SRFM) provides a better resolution than conventional fluorescence microscopy by reducing the point spread function (PSF). PSF is the light intensity distribution from a point that causes it to appear blurred. Due to PSF, each fluorescing point appears bigger than its actual size, and it is the PSF interference of nearby fluorophores that causes the blurred image. Various approaches to achieving higher resolution through SRFM have recently been developed.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Performing Spectroscopy on Plasmonic Nanoparticles with Transmission-Based Nomarski-Type Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy
08:54

Performing Spectroscopy on Plasmonic Nanoparticles with Transmission-Based Nomarski-Type Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy

Published on: June 5, 2019

Spectral-domain differential interference contrast microscopy.

Yizheng Zhu1, Natan T Shaked, Lisa L Satterwhite

  • 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA. yizheng.zhu@duke.edu

Optics Letters
|February 18, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

We developed spectral-domain differential interference contrast microscopy (SD-DIC) for precise imaging of biological samples. This fiber-optic technique offers high-resolution, quantitative measurements of optical pathlength gradients.

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Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Performing Spectroscopy on Plasmonic Nanoparticles with Transmission-Based Nomarski-Type Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy
08:54

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Published on: June 5, 2019

Phase Contrast and Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) Microscopy
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Phase Contrast and Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) Microscopy

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Quantitative Optical Microscopy: Measurement of Cellular Biophysical Features with a Standard Optical Microscope
14:09

Quantitative Optical Microscopy: Measurement of Cellular Biophysical Features with a Standard Optical Microscope

Published on: April 7, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Optics
  • Microscopy
  • Optical Physics

Background:

  • Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) microscopy provides phase contrast imaging.
  • Traditional DIC has limitations in quantitative measurements and sensitivity.
  • Low-coherence interferometry offers high precision for optical measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce a novel fiber-optic imaging technique, spectral-domain differential interference contrast microscopy (SD-DIC).
  • To enable quantitative DIC imaging of both reflective and transparent specimens.
  • To achieve high-resolution measurements of optical pathlength gradients.

Main Methods:

  • Combined Nomarski DIC principles with spectral-domain low-coherence interferometry.
  • Utilized a fiber-optic common-path interferometer.
  • Achieved full-field imaging through sample scanning.
  • Demonstrated with a USAF resolution target and live cardiomyocytes.

Main Results:

  • Achieved high-resolution, quantitative measurements of optical pathlength gradients.
  • Demonstrated a resolution of 36 pm for pathlength gradient measurements in cardiomyocytes.
  • Successfully imaged reflective surfaces and transparent biological specimens.
  • Recorded dynamics of cardiomyocyte contraction with high sensitivity.

Conclusions:

  • SD-DIC is a versatile technique for quantitative phase contrast imaging.
  • The method offers high sensitivity and resolution for biological samples.
  • SD-DIC has potential applications in studying dynamic cellular processes.