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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/M53240/01
Title: VECTORIAL PROPERTIES OF ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS IN OPTICAL MICROSCOPY
Principal Investigator: Török, Professor P
Other Investigators:
Elston, Professor SJ
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Engineering Science
Organisation: University of Oxford
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 01 August 1999 Ends: 31 July 2000 Value (£): 15,700
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Lasers & Optics
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
This project will examine novel methods for treating high aperture imaging type optical systems. First, we propose to develop a new electromagnetic theory that is capable of describing conventional optical microscopes. This work is intended to supersede currently existing, and more restricted, theories, which usually ignore either the vectorial nature of light or the high numerical apertures of the objective lenses used in optical microscopes. Second, a 'polarisable apodising filter' is to be developed. This filter will permit us to engineer the state of polarisation in the vicinity of the focus. The great advantage of using a filter is in polarised light optical microscopy and conoscopy and in the interpretation of micrograms. This is an entirely new concept and we are not aware of similar solutions being investigated. Third, we will develop a novel matrix formalism to characterise optically anisotropic media, such as liquid crystal structures. Our approach will provide an alternative analytic approach to currently existing, more numerical techniques. It is expected that our work will establish the crucial missing link between the focusing-type theories of optical microscopes and their applications to more complicated specimen structures.
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Organisation Website: http://www.ox.ac.uk