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Laser Sources for Confocal Microscopy

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Handbook of Biological Confocal Microscopy

Abstract

In this chapter we will describe the characteristic properties of a number of lasers commonly used in fluorescence microscopy. We will concentrate on the characteristics of lasers in relation to their use as an illumination source. Lasers have a number of unique properties compared to other sources emitting electro-magnetic radiation, such as arc lamps, which make them an almost ideal light source for use in confocal microscopy. These properties are:

  • high degree of monochromaticity

  • small divergence

  • high brightness

  • high degree of spatial and temporal coherence

  • plane polarized emission (for many types)

  • a Gaussian beam profile (can be obtained by special optics)

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1110 W. Green St., Urbana, IL, 61801, USA

    Enrico Gratton & Martin J. VandeVen

Authors
  1. Enrico Gratton
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  2. Martin J. VandeVen
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Integrated Microscopy Resource for Biomedical Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

    James B. Pawley

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© 1990 Plenum Press, New York

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Gratton, E., VandeVen, M.J. (1990). Laser Sources for Confocal Microscopy. In: Pawley, J.B. (eds) Handbook of Biological Confocal Microscopy. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-7133-9_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-7133-9_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4615-7135-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-7133-9

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