Abstract: This laser scanning microscope has a second light source for emitting second light into one of branch channel waveguides, and a third photodetector for detecting a light intensity distribution formed on the end face of the trunk channel waveguide based on the second light, and a controller for controlling the voltage to be applied from a voltage application unit to electrode on the waveguide in accordance with the output signal from the third photodetector.

Abstract: A confocal laser scanning mode interferene contrast microscope comprises a laser source, an illuminating optical system for condensing a light beam from the laser source and forming a light spot on an object to be examined, a condensing optical system for condensing the light beam from the object to be examined on a detecting surface, a detecting device for detecting the light beam condensed on the detecting surface, the detecting device having a substrate formed with a channel waveguide and two light detecting elements, the channel waveguide having a double mode channel waveguide having an entrance end surface on the detecting surface and a waveguide fork which forks the double mode channel waveguide into two channel waveguides, the two detecting elements detecting lights propagated through the two channel waveguides, a scanning device for moving the object to be examined and the light spot relative to each other, and a signal processing device for producing differential information of the object to be exami

Abstract: An optical waveguide device formed by a material showing anisotropy for refraction index and an optical instrument using the same device. The device comprises an electro-optic single crystal substrate on which are formed a first core portion higher in refractive index than the substrate with respect to both ordinary and extraordinary rays and a second core portion higher in refractive index than the substrate with respect to extraordinary rays pnly whereby the first core portion forms a single-moded waveguide for ordinary rays, and the overlapping region of the first and second core portions forms a double-moded waveguide for extraordinary rays. This optical waveguide device is used in place of a pinhole elementin an optical system of a confocal scanning optical microscopeso as to guide illuminating light to an object to be detected and to guide the reflected light from the object into a detector.

Abstract: A confocal laser scanning differential interference microscope includes an illumination optical system for radiating a laser light spot onto an object, a focusing optical system for focusing light reflected by the object onto a detection surface, a detection optical system for detecting the reflected light focused on the detection surface, a scanning device for scanning the laser light spot relative to the object, and an optical element arranged between the focusing optical system and the detection optical system, and having a waveguide device for propagating the reflected light focused by the focusing optical system. The waveguide device has waveguides in at least two directions perpendicular to the optical axis of incident light.