Method and Apparatus for Actuating an Acousto-Optical Component

• Main Authors: MOEHLER, Gunter, ROSCHER, Burkhard, WILHELM, Stefan
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 16.08.2018
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; COLORIMETRY; DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS, THE OPTICAL OPERATION OF WHICH ISMODIFIED BY CHANGING THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIUM OF THEDEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF THE INTENSITY,COLOUR, PHASE, POLARISATION OR DIRECTION OF LIGHT, e.g.SWITCHING, GATING, MODULATING OR DEMODULATING; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION; ELECTRICITY; FREQUENCY-CHANGING; MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT,POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRA-RED,VISIBLE OR ULTRA-VIOLET LIGHT; MEASURING; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; RADIATION PYROMETRY; TECHNIQUES OR PROCEDURES FOR THE OPERATION THEREOF; TESTING

A method and apparatus for actuating an acousto-optical component for manipulating light passing therethrough, in particular for manipulating the illumination and/or detection light in the beam path of a microscope, preferably a laser scanning microscope, where the illumination and/or detection wavelength is adjusted by means of at least one frequency generator connected to the acousto-optical component and controlling the manipulation, the frequency generator generates a signal which generates a spectral spread for the intensity distribution of the wavelength of the illumination and/or detection light for ensuring a temperature-independent manipulation. Actuation is effected by two or more actuation signals in such a way that two or more overlapping and/or superposing main lobes of the transfer function of the acousto-optical component or main maxima are generated.