Abstract: Polarized light which is emitted from an optical fiber becomes circular polarized light by passing through a first quarter wave plate. The circular polarized light which has entered a second quarter wave plate is converted into nearly linear polarized light which has S polarization. P polarization components are removed from the nearly linear polarized light by a polarizer, but the polarizer is not always necessary. The optical axis of the polarizer is set to be a direction which allows transmitting of S polarized light. The light that has passed through the polarizer is separated into diffracted lights by a diffraction grating, and is used as the structured illumination light.

Abstract: A structured illuminating apparatus includes a branching unit branching an exit light flux from a light source into at least two branched light fluxes, an illuminating optical system making the two branched light fluxes to be respectively collected at mutually different positions on a pupil plane of an objective lens and making the two branched light fluxes to be interfered with each other to illuminate a specimen with an interference fringe of the two branched light fluxes, and an adjusting unit adjusting a height from an optical axis of the illuminating optical system to two collecting points formed on the pupil plane of the objective lens by the two branched light fluxes.

Abstract: An illumination optical system includes: a beam splitter located near a conjugate position of a specimen and configured to split beams from a light source into a plurality of groups of beams having different splitting directions around an optical axis; a beam selector configured to select and transmit one group of beams from the plurality of groups of beams and that is rotatable with respect to the optical axis; and a ½ wavelength plate located near the beam selector and rotatable about the optical axis. The rotation angles of the ½ wavelength plate and of the beam selector about the optical axis are respectively set so that the polarization direction of the beam which has passed through the ½ wavelength plate is perpendicular to the splitting direction of the one group of beams that has been selected by the beam selector and split by the beam splitter.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a microscope of which visibility, controllability and operability can be improved. In the microscope, an optical path and optical path of an image forming system are set so as to be perpendicular to each other when viewed from the top. In other words, in this microscope, there exists an ocular optical system that guides light, which propagates the optical path to optical path of the image forming system, to a user. The optical path is formed in a direction perpendicular to a direction of the light from a sample emitted from the ocular optical system to the user. The present invention can be applied to an inverted microscope.

Abstract: In the microscope, an optical path and optical path of an image forming system are set so as to be perpendicular to each other when viewed from the top. In other words, in this microscope, there exists an ocular optical system that guides light, which propagates the optical path to optical path of the image forming system, to a user. The optical path is formed in a direction perpendicular to a direction of the light from a sample emitted from the ocular optical system to the user.

Abstract: Polarized light which is emitted from an optical fiber becomes circular polarized light by passing through a first quarter wave plate. The circular polarized light which has entered a second quarter wave plate is converted into nearly linear polarized light which has S polarization. P polarization components are removed from the nearly linear polarized light by a polarizer, but the polarizer is not always necessary. The optical axis of the polarizer is set to be a direction which allows transmitting of S polarized light. The light that has passed through the polarizer is separated into diffracted lights by a diffraction grating, and is used as the structured illumination light.

Abstract: A structured illumination microscopy system including an illumination optical system illuminating excitation light to excite a fluorescent material contained in a sample on the sample with an interference fringe; a controlling part controlling a direction, a phase, and a spatial frequency of the interference fringe; an image-forming optical system forming an image of the sample which is modulated by illumination of the interference fringe; an imaging sensor capturing the image formed by the image-forming optical system; and a demodulating part performing demodulation processing by using a plurality of images captured by the imaging sensor in which the controlling part controls the spatial frequency of the interference fringe in accordance with an illuminating position of the interference fringe.

Abstract: Polarized light which is emitted from an optical fiber becomes circular polarized light by passing through a first quarter wave plate. The circular polarized light which has entered a second quarter wave plate is converted into nearly linear polarized light which has S polarization. P polarization components are removed from the nearly linear polarized light by a polarizer, but the polarizer is not always necessary. The optical axis of the polarizer is set to be a direction which allows transmitting of S polarized light. The light that has passed through the polarizer is separated into diffracted lights by a diffraction grating, and is used as the structured illumination light.

Abstract: A structured illuminating apparatus includes a branching unit branching an exit light flux from a light source into at least two branched light fluxes, an illuminating optical system making the two branched light fluxes to be respectively collected at mutually different positions on a pupil plane of an objective lens and making the two branched light fluxes to be interfered with each other to illuminate a specimen with an interference fringe of the two branched light fluxes, and an adjusting unit adjusting a height from an optical axis of the illuminating optical system to two collecting points formed on the pupil plane of the objective lens by the two branched light fluxes.

Abstract: A microscope apparatus includes a monitoring optical system, an imaging unit capturing an image of an observation target through the monitoring optical system to generate a plurality of images, a correction unit disposed in the optical monitoring system and correcting various aberrations which occur due to an observation condition, and a decision unit deciding a correction amount of the correction unit based on the plurality of images generated by the imaging unit, whereby an image deterioration ascribable to the aberration occurring due to the observation condition in the microscope apparatus is appropriately and easily corrected according to a use condition of the microscope apparatus.

Abstract: A structured illuminating apparatus includes a branching unit branching an exit light flux from a light source into at least two branched light fluxes, an illuminating optical system making the two branched light fluxes to be respectively collected at mutually different positions on a pupil plane of an objective lens and making the two branched light fluxes to be interfered with each other to illuminate a specimen with an interference fringe of the two branched light fluxes, and an adjusting unit adjusting a height from an optical axis of the illuminating optical system to two collecting points formed on the pupil plane of the objective lens by the two branched light fluxes.

Abstract: An illumination optical system includes: a beam splitter located near a conjugate position of a specimen and configured to split beams from a light source into a plurality of groups of beams having different splitting directions around an optical axis; a beam selector configured to select and transmit one group of beams from the plurality of groups of beams and that is rotatable with respect to the optical axis; and a ½ wavelength plate located near the beam selector and rotatable about the optical axis. The rotation angles of the ½ wavelength plate and of the beam selector about the optical axis are respectively set so that the polarization direction of the beam which has passed through the ½ wavelength plate is perpendicular to the splitting direction of the one group of beams that has been selected by the beam selector and split by the beam splitter.

Abstract: An illumination optical system includes: a beam splitter located near a conjugate position of a specimen and configured to split beams from a light source into a plurality of groups of beams having different splitting directions around an optical axis; a beam selector configured to select and transmit one group of beams from the plurality of groups of beams and that is rotatable with respect to the optical axis; and a ½ wavelength plate located near the beam selector and rotatable about the optical axis. The rotation angles of the ½ wavelength plate and of the beam selector about the optical axis are respectively set so that the polarization direction of the beam which has passed through the ½ wavelength plate is perpendicular to the splitting direction of the one group of beams that has been selected by the beam selector and split by the beam splitter.

Abstract: An illumination optical system includes: a beam splitter located near a conjugate position of a specimen and configured to split beams from a light source into a plurality of groups of beams having different splitting directions around an optical axis; a beam selector configured to select and transmit one group of beams from the plurality of groups of beams and that is rotatable with respect to the optical axis; and a ½ wavelength plate located near the beam selector and rotatable about the optical axis. The rotation angles of the ½ wavelength plate and of the beam selector about the optical axis are respectively set so that the polarization direction of the beam which has passed through the ½ wavelength plate is perpendicular to the splitting direction of the one group of beams that has been selected by the beam selector and split by the beam splitter.

Abstract: A structured illumination microscopy system including an illumination optical system illuminating excitation light to excite a fluorescent material contained in a sample on the sample with an interference fringe; a controlling part controlling a direction, a phase, and a spatial frequency of the interference fringe; an image-forming optical system forming an image of the sample which is modulated by illumination of the interference fringe; an imaging sensor capturing the image formed by the image-forming optical system; and a demodulating part performing demodulation processing by using a plurality of images captured by the imaging sensor In which the controlling part controls the spatial frequency of the interference fringe in accordance with an illuminating position of the interference fringe.

Abstract: A structured illumination device includes: a diffraction unit that diffracts light beams of a plurality of wavelengths that are emitted simultaneously or sequentially by a light source into a plurality of diffracted beams; and an optical system that forms interference fringes on a surface of a sample using the plurality of diffracted beams diffracted by the diffraction unit, the optical system including a first optical system and a second optical system that focuses the plurality of diffracted beams at positions on or near a pupil plane of the first optical system, and a magnification characteristic dY(?) of the second optical system satisfying the condition of (fo·nw?af?/P)?dY(?)?(fo·NA?af?/P), where a=1 (for M=1, 2) or a=2 (for M=3).

Abstract: An illumination optical system includes: a beam splitter located near a conjugate position of a specimen and configured to split beams from a light source into a plurality of groups of beams having different splitting directions around an optical axis; a beam selector configured to select and transmit one group of beams from the plurality of groups of beams and that is rotatable with respect to the optical axis; and a ½ wavelength plate located near the beam selector and rotatable about the optical axis. The rotation angles of the ½ wavelength plate and of the beam selector about the optical axis are respectively set so that the polarization direction of the beam which has passed through the ½ wavelength plate is perpendicular to the splitting direction of the one group of beams that has been selected by the beam selector and split by the beam splitter.

Abstract: A structured illumination device includes: a diffraction unit that diffracts light beams of a plurality of wavelengths that are emitted simultaneously or sequentially by a light source into a plurality of diffracted beams; and an optical system that forms interference fringes on a surface of a sample using the plurality of diffracted beams diffracted by the diffraction unit, the optical system including a first optical system and a second optical system that focuses the plurality of diffracted beams at positions on or near a pupil plane of the first optical system, and a magnification characteristic dY(?) of the second optical system satisfying the condition of (fo·nw?af?/P)?dY(?)?(fo·NA?af?/P), where a=1 (for M=1, 2) or a=2 (for M=3).

Abstract: A microscope apparatus includes a monitoring optical system, an imaging unit capturing an image of an observation target through the monitoring optical system to generate a plurality of images, a correction unit disposed in the optical monitoring system and correcting various aberrations which occur due to an observation condition, and a decision unit deciding a correction amount of the correction unit based on the plurality of images generated by the imaging unit, whereby an image deterioration ascribable to the aberration occurring due to the observation condition in the microscope apparatus is appropriately and easily corrected according to a use condition of the microscope apparatus.

Abstract: Polarized light which is emitted from an optical fiber becomes circular polarized light by passing through a first quarter wave plate. The circular polarized light which has entered a second quarter wave plate is converted into nearly linear polarized light which has S polarization. P polarization components are removed from the nearly linear polarized light by a polarizer, but the polarizer is not always necessary. The optical axis of the polarizer is set to be a direction which allows transmitting of S polarized light. The light that has passed through the polarizer is separated into diffracted lights by a diffraction grating, and is used as the structured illumination light.