Microscope Project for Undergraduate Laboratories

TL;DR

This paper presents an educational microscope project for undergraduates that teaches geometric and wave optics through hands-on design, construction, and testing of a versatile, open-source light microscope system.

Contribution

It introduces a practical, adaptable experimental system for teaching optics fundamentals and advanced techniques in undergraduate and graduate education.

Findings

Students learn principles, technique, and resolution of microscopy.

The system is versatile for advanced optical projects.

Used successfully in various educational levels.

Abstract

Optics is an important subfield of physics required for instrument design and used in a variety of other disciplines, including materials science, physics, and life sciences such as developmental biology and cell biology. It is important to educate students from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds in the basics of optics in order to train the next generation of interdisciplinary researchers and instrumentalists who will push the boundaries of discovery. In this paper, we present an experimental system developed to teach students in the basics of geometric optics, including ray and wave optics. The students learn these concepts through designing, building, and testing a home-built light microscope made from component parts. We describe the experimental equipment and basic measurements students can perform to learn principles, technique, accuracy, and resolution of measurement. Students find the magnification and test the resolution of the microscope system they build. The system is open and versatile to allow advanced building projects, such as epi-fluorescence, total internal reflection fluorescence, and optical trapping. We have used this equipment in an optics course, an advanced laboratory course, and graduate-level training modules.