Abstract: A method of microscopically examining a spatial fine structure comprises the steps of selecting a luminophore from the group of luminophores which have two physical states, the two states differing from each other with regard to the luminescence properties displayed by the luminophore, and which are reversibly, but essentially completely transferable out of one into the other state of their two states by means of an optical signal; overlaying a surface of the spatial fine structure with the luminophore; and determining the profile of the surface overlaid with the luminophore. The step of determining the profile of the surface comprises the sub-steps of transferring the luminophore by means of the optical signal out of the one into the other of its two states outside a presently observed measurement point, measuring luminescence light emitted by the luminophore, and repeating the sub-steps of transferring and measuring for further measurement points distributed over the surface.

Abstract: A method of exciting an optical transition in a narrowly limited area of a material comprising the steps of focusing an excitation light beam whose wavelength is tuned to the optical transition to be excited into a focal area extending beyond a focal point; splitting up a de-excitation light beam which is at least somehow influencing the optical transition into at least two partial beams; focusing the at least two partial beams of the de-excitation light beam out of different directions onto the focal point to form a spatially extending interference pattern in the focal area; adjusting a relative phase of the at least two partial beams of the de-excitation light beam so that the interference pattern has an intensity minimum at the focal point and a plurality of intensity maxima on different sides of the focal point; and aberrating the wave fronts of the at least two partial beams of the de-excitation light beam so that the intensity maxima of the interference pattern on different sides of the focal point are

Abstract: A method which serves for writing a three-dimensional arrangement of data bits to a solid-state body comprises the steps of selecting a protein having fluorescence properties that can be altered by means of an optical write signal; providing the solid-state body made from the protein, the protein being present in the solid-state body in crystalline form; setting a spatial distribution which corresponds to the three-dimensional arrangement of data bits of the fluorescence properties of the protein of the solid-state body by means of the optical write signal.

Abstract: In a fluorescence-microscopic method of examining a sample with high spatial resolution, the sample is first cooled to a temperature of below 5° C.; next the cooled sample is transferred out of a ground state into a fluorescent state within an area captured by a detector using an excitation beam of light; next the cooled sample is subject to de-excitation of excited molecules by stimulated emission in the area captured by the detector, except at desired measuring points, using an de-exciting beam of light, the de-exciting beam of light having a spatial intensity distribution comprising a zero point located at the desired measuring points, and the excited sample being transferred back into its ground state by the de-exciting beam of light; and then fluorescence light spontaneously emitted by the cooled sample is measured with the detector, the detector detecting fluorescence light that is emitted only from the measuring points.

Abstract: In a method for multi photon excitation of a sample a laser beam is split into at least two coherent partial beams each having a beam axis and a same intensity distribution about its beam axis. The partial beams are directed from different directions towards a common measuring plane running transversely to the beam axes at an inclination angle <1 between the beam axes of the partial beams; and the partial beams are projected onto the measuring plane by means of a common lens system. Thus, an interference pattern formed by the coherent partial beams within the measuring plane provides areas of maximum light intensity adjacent to areas of minimum light intensity.

Abstract: In a method of high spatial resolution imaging or modifying a structure, the structure is marked with a substance which is selected from the group of substances which can be transferred from a first state having first optical properties to a second state having second optical properties by means of an optical switch over signal. Then, the second state of the substance is adjusted with the switch over signal except for a spatially limited area. If the substance and the switch over signal are adapted to each other in such a way, that everywhere where the switch over signal exceeds a threshold value essentially the second state of the substance is adjusted, and if the spatial area purposefully omitted by the switch over signal is an intensity minimum of an interference pattern, the spatial area of the structure in which the substance is within the first state becomes smaller than the diffraction limit for the switch over signal.

Abstract: In a method of creating a permanent structure with high spatial resolution, a substance which may be modified by an optical signal is provided in a writing area. The optical signal is applied to the writing area in such a way that a spatially limited partial area of the writing area is purposefully omitted, the spatially limited partial area being a local intensity minimum of the optical signal, and the optical signal, outside of the spatially limited partial area, being applied to the writing area in such a way that saturation is achieved in modifying the substance with the optical signal. Then, different states of the substance in the spatially limited partial area and of the substance in the partial areas of the writing area covered by the optical signal are permanently adjusted.

Abstract: In a method of high spatial resolution imaging a structure of a sample, the structure is marked with a substance. The substance is selected from a group of substances which are capable of being repeatedly transferred out of a first state having first optical properties into a second state having second optical properties by means of an optical switch over signal, and which are capable of returning out of the second state into the first state, the two states differing with regard to at least one criteria. Within areas of the sample the sample is transferred into the second state by means of the optical switch over signal with which at least one spatially limited area of the sample is purposefully omitted. An optical measurement signal is detected, which is associated with the substance in the first state and which comes out of a detection area including both the area purposefully omitted with the switch over signal and areas in which the substance has been transferred into to second state.

Abstract: A confocal microscope comprises a microlens array having a plurality of microlenses for splitting a ray bundle of illumination light into a plurality of convergent partial ray bundles which illuminate a sample simultaneously at several measuring points; a beam splitter for separating a beam path of the illuminating light and a beam path of sample light originating from the illumination of the sample and captured in an inverse direction with regard to the illumination light; a pinhole diaphragm array having a plurality of pinhole diaphragms arranged in the beam path of the sample light and corresponding to said microlenses of said microlens array splitting the illumination light; and a further microlens array having a plurality of microlenses corresponding to said microlenses of said microlens array splitting the illumination light. Said microlenses of said microlens array splitting the illumination light and said microlenses of said further microlens array are arranged in the beam path of the sample light.

Abstract: A confocal microscope comprises a microlens array having a plurality of microlenses for splitting a ray bundle of illumination light into a plurality of convergent partial ray bundles which illuminate a sample simultaneously at several measuring points; a beam splitter for separating a beam path of the illuminating light and a beam path of sample light originating from the illumination of the sample and captured in an inverse direction with regard to the illumination light; a pinhole diaphragm array having a plurality of pinhole diaphragms arranged in the beam path of the sample light and corresponding to said microlenses of said microlens array splitting the illumination light; and a further microlens array having a plurality of microlenses corresponding to said microlenses of said microlens array splitting the illumination light. Said microlenses of said microlens array splitting the illumination light and said microlenses of said further microlens array are arranged in the beam path of the sample light.

Abstract: In a method of high spatial resolution imaging or modifying a structure, the structure is marked with a substance which is selected from the group of substances which can be transferred from a first state having first optical properties to a second state having second optical properties by means of an optical switch over signal. Then, the second state of the substance is adjusted with the switch over signal except for a spatially limited area. If the substance and the switch over signal are adapted to each other in such a way, that everywhere where the switch over signal exceeds a threshold value essentially the second state of the substance is adjusted, and if the spatial area purposefully omitted by the switch over signal is an intensity minimum of an interference pattern, the spatial area of the structure in which the substance is within the first state becomes smaller than the diffraction limit for the switch over signal.

Abstract: A method of exciting an optical transition in a narrowly limited area of a material comprising the steps of focusing an excitation light beam whose wavelength is tuned to the optical transition to be excited into a focal area extending beyond a focal point; splitting up a de-excitation light beam which is at least somehow influencing the optical transition into at least two partial beams; focusing the at least two partial beams of the de-excitation light beam out of different directions onto the focal point to form a spatially extending interference pattern in the focal area; adjusting a relative phase of the at least two partial beams of the de-excitation light beam so that the interference pattern has an intensity minimum at the focal point and a plurality of intensity maxima on different sides of the focal point; and aberrating the wave fronts of the at least two partial beams of the de-excitation light beam so that the intensity maxima of the interference pattern on different sides of the focal point are

Abstract: In a method for multi photon excitation of a sample a laser beam is split into at least two coherent partial beams each having a beam axis and a same intensity distribution about its beam axis. The partial beams are directed from different directions towards a common measuring plane running transversely to the beam axes at an inclination angle <1 between the beam axes of the partial beams; and the partial beams are projected onto the measuring plane by means of a common lens system. Thus, an interference pattern formed by the coherent partial beams within the measuring plane provides areas of maximum light intensity adjacent to areas of minimum light intensity.

Abstract: An optical apparatus, especially a scanning microscope (1), wherein an expanded laser beam (2) is divided into several partial beams (4) by micro lenses (5) arranged next to one another. Each partial beam (4) is focused onto a focal point (11) by a common objective lens (7) to optically excite a sample (8). Fluorescent light emanating from the individual focal points (11) of the sample (8) is registered by a photo sensor (13) arranged behind the objective lens (7) as seen from the sample (8). Each photon of the fluorescent light coming from the sample (8) and being registered by the photo sensor (13) is excited by at least two photons of the laser beam (2).

Abstract: The description relates to a process for luminescence scanning microscopy with two-photon excitation, especially for examining biological objects (5). A laser pulse excites luminescent, especially fluorescing molecules and the luminescence emitted by the object (5) is measured and evaluated. In the process, the luminescent molecules in the object (5) are excited by laser pulses of over 10.sup.-12 second duration. A luminescence scanning microscope for implementing the process has a detector (2), a filter (7, 8) for separating the light emitted by the sample from the laser light (4) and a laser light source which is a laser (1) emitting pulsed or continuous radiation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the optical measurement of a point (7) on a sample (8) with high-local resolution, with a light source (1) to emit a beam (16) suitable for exciting an energy state in the sample (8), and a detector (9) to detect the emitted light. The lateral resolution of the device is improved in that there is a stimulation light beam (17) from the exciting light source (1) to generate stimulated emission at the point (7) on the sample (8) excited by the light beam (16), in which the exciting light beam (16) and the stimulation light beam (17) are arranged in such a way that their intensity distributions partly overlap in the focal region.