APSC 629 - Optical Microscopy - Fundamental & Applications

Fall (3) Schniepp. Prerequisite(s): Instructor Permission

For centuries, optical microscopy has been an essential tool for fundamental research and applications in physical sciences, life sciences, and engineering alike. This course first introduces the fundamentals of optics necessary to rigorously understand the imaging and contrasting mechanisms of optical microscopes and their capabilities, including the wave nature of light and the resulting diffraction limit. Opportunities, limitations, and practical aspects of optical imaging are then discussed. The course then treats optical microscopes, their different modes of imaging/spectroscopy operation, and their application. Some of the latest technological developments and advancements of light microscopy are introduced.