Abstract: [Task] To provide a super-resolution microscope whereby the light source of pump light and erase light can be selected easily and a super-resolution can be reliably achieved through a simple and inexpensive arrangement. [Solution of the Task] A super-resolution microscope includes an optical system (3, 4, 9) for combining a part of a first coherent light from a first light source (2) and a part of a second coherent light from a second light source (1) and focusing the coherent lights onto a sample (10), scanning means (6, 7) for scanning the coherent lights, and detecting means (16) for detecting an optical response signal from the sample (10). The microscope is configured so as to satisfy the following conditions: ?01Ip??1, and 0.

Abstract: A three-dimensional analyzing device includes a first beam source for generating a first beam, a second beam source for generating a second beam, an optical system for spatially overlapping the first and second beams at least partly and irradiating the beams onto a specimen to three-dimensionally confine a photoactive region in a specimen, and a photo acceptance element for accepting a response light emitted from the photoactive region. Preferably, the device further includes an operation unit for calculating a correlation function of a response light in the time domain based on the output of the photo acceptance element to analyze a desired physical value of the specimen.

Abstract: Microscope and its optical controlling method capable of making an optical adjustment of first and second lights being made in easy with high accuracy, and capable of developing the effect of the superresolution and expected optical performance surely, is provided.

Abstract: A three-dimensional analyzing device includes a first beam source for generating a first beam, a second beam source for generating a second beam, an optical system for spatially overlapping the first and second beams at least partly and irradiating the beams onto a specimen to three-dimensionally confine a photoactive region in a specimen, and a photo acceptance element for accepting a response light emitted from the photoactive region. Preferably, the device further includes an operation unit for calculating a correlation function of a response light in the time domain based on the output of the photo acceptance element to analyze a desired physical value of the specimen.

Abstract: A microscope capable of being shaped into a beam with complete hollow shape by removing the disorder of the wavefront to the erase light, particularly, and capable of improving the spatial resolution by inducing a super-resolution near the limit, is provided.

Abstract: A microscope includes a first light source to emit a first light to excite a molecule of a sample to a higher energy level vibration state which belongs to a lowest energy level electron state from the ground state, a second light source to emit a second light source to excite the molecule to a higher energy level quantum state from the higher energy vibration state, an optical system to overlap the first light and the second light partially on the sample, and an optical detector to detect a given fluorescence from the irradiated region of the first light and the second light on the sample.

Abstract: The present invention provides various embodiments of a double-resonance-absorption microscope which realizes a super-resolution by using double resonance absorption. In particular, a double-resonance-absorption microscope includes a light source for a pump light of a wavelength ?1 which excites a sample molecule to a first electronic excited state from a ground state, a light source for an erase light of a wavelength ?2 which excites the sample molecule to a second electronic excited state or a higher excited state from the first electronic excited state, and an overlap component for partially overlapping irradiating areas of the pump light and the erase light with each other. An emission area upon deexcitation of the sample molecule to the ground state from the first electronic excited state is partially inhibited by irradiating the pump light and the erase light through the overlap means.

Abstract: A microscope capable of being shaped into a beam with complete hollow shape by removing the disorder of the wavefront to the erase light, particularly, and capable of improving the spatial resolution by inducing a super-resolution near the limit, is provided.

Abstract: A microscope system comprising an adjusted specimen and a microscope body, wherein the adjusted specimen is dyed with molecule which has three electronic states including at least a ground state and in which an excited wavelength band from the first electron excited state to the second electron excited state overlaps a fluorescent wavelength band upon deexcitation through a fluorescence process from the first electron excited state to a vibrational level in the ground state. There is provided a novel microscope system which is enabled to condense an erase light for exciting a molecule in the first electron excited state to the second electron excited state in an excellent beam profile by using a simple, compact optical system and which has high stability and operability and an excellent super-resolution.

Abstract: An optical device and microscope of simple construction are provided that are capable of readily attaining super resolution with good focusing performance. This comprises a light source means (2, 3, 4, 6, 8) that generates light of multiple different wavelengths, a light condensation means to focus lights of these multiple wavelengths on an object 1, and an emitted light detector means 17 for detection of light emitted from said object 1. Among said multiple lights of different wavelengths generated from said light source means, at least one light forms a condensed light pattern of multiple spatial modes. These multiple lights are condensed upon said object 1 such that part of the region of the condensed light pattern of said multiple spatial modes is made to spatially overlap with the condensed light pattern of the other light.

Abstract: A microscope includes a first light source to emit a first light to excite a molecule of a sample to a higher energy level vibration state which belongs to a lowest energy level electron state from the ground state, a second light source to emit a second light source to excite the molecule to a higher energy level quantum state from the higher energy vibration state, an optical system to overlap the first light and the second light partially on the sample, and an optical detector to detect a given fluorescence from the irradiated region of the first light and the second light on the sample.

Abstract: An optical device and microscope of simple construction and which is capable of readily attaining super resolution with good focusing performance, includes a light source that generates light of multiple different wavelengths, a focusing optical device that focuses lights of these multiple wavelengths on an object, and an emitted light detector that detects light emitted from the object. Among the multiple lights of different wavelengths generated from the light source, at least one light forms a condensed light pattern of multiple spatial modes. These multiple lights are condensed upon the object such that part of the region of the condensed light pattern of the multiple spatial modes is made to spatially overlap with the condensed light pattern of the other light.

Abstract: The present invention provides various techniques useful for a double-resonance-absorption microscope which realizes a super-resolution by using a double resonance absorption.

Abstract: In a method of observing a specimen through a fluorescence microscope, molecules that could cause double-resonance absorption process in an appropriate manner are used to dye the specimen, and the specimen is irradiated with a plurality of light beams of different wavelengths in a good timing, so that a microscopic image with high spatial resolution is obtained. In the microscope to be used in the method of observation, the specimen is irradiated with two light beams of different wavelength bands via an aperture with an annular-zonal structure and an optical system that has different in-focus positions for these two wavelength bands, so that one of the two light beam is focused on a surface of the specimen and the other light beam is defocused thereon. Consequently, the microscope achieves improvement of the spatial resolution as to overcome the diffraction limit determined by the wavelengths in use.

Abstract: A high-accuracy multi-wavelength optical microscope for providing a satisfactory contrast of image and much information about a sample. The microscope includes a plurality of light sources, a wavelength varietor independently varying the wavelength of the individual light sources, and polarization plane rotators on the optical path for each light source.

Abstract: X-ray microscopy is used to observe a specimen by labelling the specimen with a molecule having a double bond, such as, for example, N-succinimidyl-4-nitrophenyl acetate or 5-(dimethylamino phenyl)-2,4-pentadienal, which bond to an amino group, and O-(4-nitrobenzyl)-N,N-diisopropyl isourea, which chemically bonds to a carbonyl group. Such labelling groups can generate fluorescence to facilitate the observation of the specimen. Observation is improved by using a monochromatic X-ray source having a photon energy lower than 2000 eV and a band width narrower than 1 eV.

Abstract: A surface analyzing apparatus includes a laser plasma radiation source, an optical condensing system for converging ultraviolet light, vacuum ultraviolet light, or X rays emitted from the laser plasma radiation source on the surface of a sample, and a mass spectrometer or a time-of-flight spectrometer for detecting the secondary ions emitted from the sample. Thus, the surface analyzing apparatus is capable of analyzing two-dimensionally adsorbed substances on the sample surface with a high resolving power.

Abstract: A reflection type imaging optical system is provided with at least one reflecting mirror, whose reflecting surface is constructed of a plurality of zone areas different from each other in spectral reflectance characteristics. Further, in the optical system, the spectral reflectance characteristics of each zone area are selected so that an incident angle providing the maximum reflectance when a ray of light of a predetermined wavelength is incident on each zone area has a value between the maximum and the minimum of the incident angle in the zone area. The reflection type imaging optical system thus provides an important advantage in practical use in that the reflection efficiency of each reflecting surface is enhanced to bring about the brightness necessary for the imaging surface.

Abstract: An X-ray microscope for observing a transmitted X-ray microscopic image of a specimen by irradiating the specimen with X-rays and exciting radiation rays, in which the exciting radiation rays are made incident upon the specimen at a large photon flux in an efficient manner without loss, so that a contrast of the image can be increased. The invention provides a desired relationship between thickness of specimen, wavelength of X-rays and tone resolving power of image fro obtaining a transmitted X-ray microscopic image having an excellent contrast. The invention further proposes optimizations for a photon flux of exciting radiation rays as well am for a timing of irradiation of X-rays and exciting radiation rays. The X-ray microscope can observe particular element contained in particular substance without being affected by the same element contained in other substances which constitute a specimen together with the particular substance by suitably selecting a wavelength of the exciting radiation rays.

Abstract: A vacuum optical system has a vacuum chamber for housing an optical system used In a vacuum. The vacuum chamber is equipped with a member, on which the optical system is at least mounted, supported by such parts that when a pressure in the vacuum chamber changes to deform the vacuum chamber, the amount of displacement transmitted to the optical system is smaller than a predetermined tolerance depending on an accuracy necessary for the optical system. Thus, the vacuum optical system can be obtained which does away with the need for readjustment of optical alignment and is compact.