Published in

MDPI, Micromachines, 4(15), p. 537, 2024

DOI: 10.3390/mi15040537

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Extending the Depth of Focus of an Infrared Microscope Using a Binary Axicon Fabricated on Barium Fluoride

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

Axial resolution is one of the most important characteristics of a microscope. In all microscopes, a high axial resolution is desired in order to discriminate information efficiently along the longitudinal direction. However, when studying thick samples that do not contain laterally overlapping information, a low axial resolution is desirable, as information from multiple planes can be recorded simultaneously from a single camera shot instead of plane-by-plane mechanical refocusing. In this study, we increased the focal depth of an infrared microscope non-invasively by introducing a binary axicon fabricated on a barium fluoride substrate close to the sample. Preliminary results of imaging the thick and sparse silk fibers showed an improved focal depth with a slight decrease in lateral resolution and an increase in background noise.