In this article our aim is to answer some basic questions about the polarization of light, including: what polarization is and how it is described, how it is controlled by optical components, and when it matters in optical systems.
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Super-resolution microscopy allows for the visualization of cellular samples with a resolution similar to that of an electron microscope, yet it retains the advantages of an optical fluorescence microscope. Discover key recent developments in super-resolution microscopy in this white paper.
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Given the critical role optical filters play in fluorescence microscopy, it is important to understand how such filters transmit both the desired fluorescence signal as well as the undesired background light. Learn more about spectral modeling in fluorescence microscopy in this white paper.
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This article outlines a novel approach to spectral imaging based on recently introduced tunable thin-film optical filters.
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VersaChrome has now made possible thin-film bandpass and edge filters that are tunable over a wide range of wavelengths by adjusting the angle of incidence with essentially no change in spectral performance. As a result, many optical systems can now benefit from tunable filters with the spectral and two-dimensional imaging performance characteristics of thin-film filters and the center wavelength tuning speed and flexibility of a diffraction grating.
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Multicolor imaging in fluorescence microscopy is typically performed by sequentially acquiring images of different colors. An overlay of these images is used to study the relative spatial distribution of various types of cellular components. However, in order to ensure that such a composite image is a true representation of the biological phenomena under investigation, it is important to understand imaging artifacts such as “pixel shift” error in multicolor fluorescence imaging.
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In this article, we discuss the emergence of NLO imaging and how it has been facilitated by advances in three key technology areas: ultrafast lasers; high-performance, hard-coated optical filters; and high-sensitivity detectors. Fluorophores commonly used in combination with NLO fluorescence imaging will also be discussed.
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Even though fluorescence microscopy has become a routine technique for many applications, demanding requirements from technological advances continue to push the limits. Lack of sufficient flatness on a dichroic is not only a problem for imaging quality, but it can also reduce the quality of the illumination light beam when the dichroic is used to reflect the illumination light toward the sample.
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This article compares the strengths and weaknesses of some of the most popular component solutions on the market today, and then explains how Semrock’s advanced optical filter technology is being applied to a new class of polarization components designed specifically for lasers. This new class of filters is filling some key gaps in the polarization component market.
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In optics, dispersion is the phenomenon in which the phase velocity of a light wave in the material depends on its frequency (wavelength). One of the most well-known examples of dispersion is the splitting of white light into its full spectrum of colors (wavelengths) as it passes through a glass prism. Chromatic dispersion also causes the focal length of imaging lenses to be wavelength dependent, and thus specially designed lenses are required to mitigate chromatic effects on image quality in applications like optical microscopy. Both of these examples of so-called material dispersion involve continuous wave (cw) light.
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In this article, the history and development of FPs is discussed, along with what they are and how they work. Applications of fluorescent proteins are covered, as are considerations for application success.
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The application of fluorescence polarization offers unique advantages over conventional fluorescence imaging and quantitation. However many resources provide a limited perspective on applications. This article is a concise review of various applications in life sciences that are based on fluorescence polarization.
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As UHPLC has gained a solid foothold in the market, some of the problems that have plagued chromatographers —like band broadening, split peaks, carryover, etc. — are beginning to occur with greater frequency in UHPLC. Learn more in this white paper.
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