Abstract

For both reflection- and transmission-mode confocal scanning microscope systems, three-dimensional coherent transfer functions are investigated by considering the effects of defocus and primary spherical aberration. We numerically calculate the three-dimensional coherent transfer functions for various amounts of aberration and show that three-dimensional confocal imaging is strongly degraded if the amount of aberration is larger than a quarter wavelength. The compensation of the primary spherical aberration by introducing defocus is also discussed.

© 1992 Optical Society of America

Effects of defocus and primary spherical aberration on images of a straight edge in confocal microscopy

Min Gu and Colin J. R. Sheppard
Appl. Opt. 33(4) 625-630 (1994)

Three-dimensional optical transfer function for circular and annular lenses with spherical aberration and defocus

David G. A. Jackson, Min Gu, and Colin J. R. Sheppard
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Three-dimensional coherent transfer functions in fiber-optical confocal scanning microscopes

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Three-dimensional coherent transfer function for reflection confocal microscopy in the presence of refractive-index mismatch

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