Abstract: A structured illumination microscope includes a spatial light modulator containing ferroelectric liquid crystals, an interference optical system for illuminating a specimen with an interference fringe generated by making lights from the spatial light modulator interfere with each other, a controller for applying a voltage pattern having a predetermined voltage value distribution to the ferroelectric liquid crystals, an image forming optical system for forming an image of the specimen, which has been irradiated with the interference fringe, an imaging element for generating an image by imaging the image formed by the image forming optical system, and a demodulating part for generating a demodulated image using a plurality of images, wherein the controller applies an image generation voltage pattern for generating the demodulated images and a burn-in prevention voltage pattern calculated based on the image generation voltage pattern to the ferroelectric liquid crystals.

Abstract: A fluorescence observation device includes: a first intensity-modulating unit that intensity-modulates, at a frequency f1, pump light that excites fluorescence of an observed subject; a second intensity-modulating unit that intensity-modulates, at a frequency f2 different from the frequency f1, probe light that induces stimulated emission of the observed subject; a light-receiving unit that receives the fluorescence from the observed subject irradiated with the intensity-modulated pump light and probe light; and a sensing unit that senses a component with a frequency of i×f1±j×f2 (i and j are positive integers, at least one of which is equal to or larger than two) in a reception-light signal sensed at the light-receiving unit.

Abstract: A fluorescence observation device for observing fluorescence from an observed subject including a negative switching fluorescent substance that undergoes a transition from a deactivated state to an activated state triggered by activation light, and is excited by pump light when in the activated state includes: a first intensity-modulating unit that intensity-modulates the activation light at a frequency f1; a second intensity-modulating unit that intensity-modulates probe light at a frequency f3 different from the frequency f1, the probe light inducing stimulated emission of the observed subject; a light-receiving unit that receives fluorescence from the observed subject irradiated with the pump light, and the intensity-modulated probe light and activation light; and a sensing unit that senses a component with a frequency of f1±f3 in a reception-light signal from the light-receiving unit.

Abstract: A structured illumination microscope includes: a brancher that includes a first substrate on which a plurality of pixel electrodes are provided; a second substrate opposed to the first substrate; and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and branches light from a light source into diffracted light beams; an illumination optical system that illuminates a sample with interference fringes formed by at least some of the diffracted light beams; an imaging device that forms an image of the sample irradiated with the interference fringes; a demodulator; and a controller that controls a direction and a phase of the interference fringes. In one frame period during which the imaging device takes the image, the controller applies a first voltage pattern and a second voltage pattern obtained by inverting the first voltage pattern to at least some of the pixel electrodes.

Abstract: A structured illumination microscope includes a spatial light modulator containing ferroelectric liquid crystals, an interference optical system for illuminating a specimen with an interference fringe generated by making lights from the spatial light modulator interfere with each other, a controller for applying a voltage pattern having a predetermined voltage value distribution to the ferroelectric liquid crystals, an image forming optical system for forming an image of the specimen, which has been irradiated with the interference fringe, an imaging element for generating an image by imaging the image formed by the image forming optical system, and a demodulating part for generating a demodulated image using a plurality of images, wherein the controller applies an image generation voltage pattern for generating the demodulated images and a burn-in prevention voltage pattern calculated based on the image generation voltage pattern to the ferroelectric liquid crystals.

Abstract: A structured illumination microscope includes a spatial light modulator containing ferroelectric liquid crystals, an interference optical system for illuminating a specimen with an interference fringe generated by making lights from the spatial light modulator interfere with each other, a controller for applying a voltage pattern having a predetermined voltage value distribution to the ferroelectric liquid crystals, an image forming optical system for forming an image of the specimen, which has been irradiated with the interference fringe, an imaging element for generating an image by imaging the image formed by the image forming optical system, and a demodulating part for generating a demodulated image using a plurality of images, wherein the controller applies an image generation voltage pattern for generating the demodulated images and a burn-in prevention voltage pattern calculated based on the image generation voltage pattern to the ferroelectric liquid crystals.

Abstract: A structured illumination microscopic device includes a first spatial modulation unit spatially modulating a fluorescent sample using an excitation light having a sinusoidal illumination distribution of a spatial frequency K and having an optical frequency ?1 for shifting a fluorescent substance to an excitation level; a second spatial modulation unit spatially modulating the fluorescent sample using a stimulation light having a sinusoidal illumination distribution of a spatial frequency K and having an optical frequency ?2 for shifting the excited fluorescent substance to a base level; and an imaging unit obtaining, as a modulated image, an image of the fluorescent sample with spontaneously emitted light generated at the fluorescent sample in accordance with the excitation light and the stimulation light.

Abstract: A fluorescence observation device for observing fluorescence from an observed subject including a negative switching fluorescent substance that undergoes a transition from a deactivated state to an activated state triggered by activation light, and is excited by pump light when in the activated state includes: a first intensity-modulating unit that intensity-modulates the activation light at a frequency f1; a second intensity-modulating unit that intensity-modulates probe light at a frequency f3 different from the frequency f1, the probe light inducing stimulated emission of the observed subject; a light-receiving unit that receives fluorescence from the observed subject irradiated with the pump light, and the intensity-modulated probe light and activation light; and a sensing unit that senses a component with a frequency of f1±f3 in a reception-light signal from the light-receiving unit.

Abstract: A fluorescence observation device includes: a first intensity-modulating unit that intensity-modulates, at a frequency f1, pump light that excites fluorescence of an observed subject; a second intensity-modulating unit that intensity-modulates, at a frequency f2 different from the frequency f1, probe light that induces stimulated emission of the observed subject; a light-receiving unit that receives the fluorescence from the observed subject irradiated with the intensity-modulated pump light and probe light; and a sensing unit that senses a component with a frequency of i×f1±j×f2 (i and j are positive integers, at least one of which is equal to or larger than two) in a reception-light signal sensed at the light-receiving unit.

Abstract: A structured illumination microscope includes a spatial light modulator containing ferroelectric liquid crystals, an interference optical system for illuminating a specimen with an interference fringe generated by making lights from the spatial light modulator interfere with each other, a controller for applying a voltage pattern having a predetermined voltage value distribution to the ferroelectric liquid crystals, an image forming optical system for forming an image of the specimen, which has been irradiated with the interference fringe, an imaging element for generating an image by imaging the image formed by the image forming optical system, and a demodulating part for generating a demodulated image using a plurality of images, wherein the controller applies an image generation voltage pattern for generating the demodulated images and a burn-in prevention voltage pattern calculated based on the image generation voltage pattern to the ferroelectric liquid crystals.

Abstract: A structured illumination microscope includes a spatial light modulator containing ferroelectric liquid crystals, an interference optical system for illuminating a specimen with an interference fringe generated by making lights from the spatial light modulator interfere with each other, a controller for applying a voltage pattern having a predetermined voltage value distribution to the ferroelectric liquid crystals, an image forming optical system for forming an image of the specimen, which has been irradiated with the interference fringe, an imaging element for generating an image by imaging the image formed by the image forming optical system, and a demodulating part for generating a demodulated image using a plurality of images, wherein the controller applies an image generation voltage pattern for generating the demodulated images and a burn-in prevention voltage pattern calculated based on the image generation voltage pattern to the ferroelectric liquid crystals.

Abstract: A super-resolution observation device includes an illumination optical system collecting a first illuminating light having a first optical frequency ?1 on a first region of an observation object, collecting a second illuminating light having a second optical frequency ?2? on a second region partially overlapping the first region, and collecting a third illuminating light having a third optical frequency ?2 on a third region containing a non-overlap region which is a region of the first region and does not overlap the second region; and an extraction unit extracting a signal light generated in accordance with a change in an energy level of a substance in the non-overlap region from a light generated in all of the first region, the second region, and the third region.

Abstract: A structured illumination microscope includes: a brancher that includes a first substrate on which a plurality of pixel electrodes are provided; a second substrate opposed to the first substrate; and a ferroelectric liquid crystal disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and branches light from a light source into diffracted light beams; an illumination optical system that illuminates a sample with interference fringes formed by at least some of the diffracted light beams; an imaging device that forms an image of the sample irradiated with the interference fringes; a demodulator; and a controller that controls a direction and a phase of the interference fringes. In one frame period during which the imaging device takes the image, the controller applies a first voltage pattern and a second voltage pattern obtained by inverting the first voltage pattern to at least some of the pixel electrodes.

Abstract: A super-resolution observation device includes an illumination optical system that focus a first illuminating light at optical frequency ?1 and a second illuminating light at optical frequency ?2 on a region of an observation object plane; a modulation unit that modulates a property of the first illuminating light heading toward the region at a modulation frequency fm; and an extraction unit that extracts a component at the optical frequency ?1 or ?2 from a light generated in the region according to the first illuminating light and the second illuminating light, the component of which the property changes at a frequency higher than the modulation frequency fm.

Abstract: A focus position maintaining apparatus and a microscope are provided. The focus position maintaining apparatus can three-dimensionally correct a shift of a specimen in real time to maintain the focal point of an objective lens in a desired position in the specimen, and the microscope includes the focus position maintaining apparatus. The focus position maintaining apparatus includes a microlens array having a plurality of unit lenses and disposed in a position where the microlens array receives light from a specimen via an objective lens, a focus imaging device disposed in a position where the focus imaging device receives light from the unit lenses of the microlens array, and a control unit that outputs a signal for controlling operation of a focus actuator based on image formation positions of a plurality of images of the specimen detected by the focus imaging device via the microlens array.

Abstract: A super-resolution observation device includes an illumination optical system that focus a first illuminating light at optical frequency ?1 and a second illuminating light at optical frequency ?2 on a region of an observation object plane; a modulation unit that modulates a property of the first illuminating light heading toward the region at a modulation frequency fm; and an extraction unit that extracts a component at the optical frequency ?1 or ?2 from a light generated in the region according to the first illuminating light and the second illuminating light, the component of which the property changes at a frequency higher than the modulation frequency fm.

Abstract: A super-resolution observation device includes an illumination optical system collecting a first illuminating light having a first optical frequency co, on a first region of an observation object, collecting a second illuminating light having a second optical frequency ?2? on a second region partially overlapping the first region, and collecting a third illuminating light having a third optical frequency ?2 on a third region containing a non-overlap region which is a region of the first region and does not overlap the second region; and an extraction unit extracting a signal light generated in accordance with a change in an energy level of a substance in the non-overlap region from a light generated in all of the first region, the second region, and the third region.

Abstract: A structured illumination microscopic device includes a first spatial modulation unit spatially modulating a fluorescent sample using an excitation light having a sinusoidal illumination distribution of a spatial frequency K and having an optical frequency ?1 for shifting a fluorescent substance to an excitation level; a second spatial modulation unit spatially modulating the fluorescent sample using a stimulation light having a sinusoidal illumination distribution of a spatial frequency K and having an optical frequency ?2 for shifting the excited fluorescent substance to a base level; and an imaging unit obtaining, as a modulated image, an image of the fluorescent sample with spontaneously emitted light generated at the fluorescent sample in accordance with the excitation light and the stimulation light.

Abstract: A structured illumination microscope includes a spatial light modulator containing ferroelectric liquid crystals, an interference optical system for illuminating a specimen with an interference fringe generated by making lights from the spatial light modulator interfere with each other, a controller for applying a voltage pattern having a predetermined voltage value distribution to the ferroelectric liquid crystals, an image forming optical system for forming an image of the specimen, which has been irradiated with the interference fringe, an imaging element for generating an image by imaging the image formed by the image forming optical system, and a demodulating part for generating a demodulated image using a plurality of images, wherein the controller applies an image generation voltage pattern for generating the demodulated images and a burn-in prevention voltage pattern calculated based on the image generation voltage pattern to the ferroelectric liquid crystals.

Abstract: An optical microscope that can prevent an increase in the complexity of the light source system is equipped with optics readily capable of adequate operation even when the modulation frequency is increased to reduce the impact of the intensity noise of the laser. The optical microscope irradiates a sample with a first train of optical pulses having a first optical frequency, which is generated by a first light source, and a second train of optical pulses having a second optical frequency, which is temporally synchronized with the first train of optical pulses and is generated by a second light source, and detects light scattered from the sample. A first repetition frequency of the first train of optical pulses is an integral sub-multiple of a second repetition frequency of the second train of optical pulses.