Polarized light imaging of birefringence and diattenuation at highresolution and high sensitivity

TL;DR

This paper discusses advanced polarized light microscopy techniques, including modifications of the LC-PolScope, for high-resolution imaging of birefringence and diattenuation in various materials, enhancing analysis of molecular order.

Contribution

It introduces modifications to the LC-PolScope for imaging transmittance in dichroic materials and explores the physical relationships between optical properties.

Findings

Modified LC-PolScope enables imaging of transmittance in dichroic materials.

Clarified the relationship between birefringence, diattenuation, and dichroism.

Demonstrated high-resolution imaging capabilities.

Abstract

Polarized light microscopy provides unique opportunities for analyzing the molecular order in man-made and natural materials, including biological structures inside living cells, tissues, and whole organisms. 20 years ago, the LC-PolScope was introduced as a modern version of the traditional polarizing microscope enhanced by liquid crystal devices for the control of polarization, and by electronic imaging and digital image processing for fast and comprehensive image acquisition and analysis. The LC- PolScope is commonly used for birefringence imaging, analyzing the spatial and temporal variations of the differential phase delay in ordered and transparent materials. Here we describe an alternative use of the LC-PolScope for imaging the polarization dependent transmittance of dichroic materials. We explain the minor changes needed to convert the instrument between the two imaging modes, discuss the relationship between the quantities measured with either instrument, and touch on the physical connection between refractive index, birefringence, transmittance, diattenuation, and dichroism.