US 11,754,847 B2
Method of and apparatus for forming and shifting a light intensity distribution in a focal area of an objective lens
Johann Engelhardt, Bad Schoenborn (DE); and Stefan W. Hell, Goettingen (DE)
Assigned to MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN E.V., Munich (DE)
Filed by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Wissenschaften e.V., Munich (DE)
Filed on Mar. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/209,516.
Application 17/209,516 is a continuation in part of application No. PCT/EP2018/076248, filed on Sep. 27, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0208411 A1, Jul. 8, 2021
Int. Cl. G01N 21/64 (2006.01); G02B 21/06 (2006.01); G02B 21/16 (2006.01); G02B 27/10 (2006.01); G02B 27/09 (2006.01); G02F 1/035 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 27/0927 (2013.01) [G01N 21/6402 (2013.01); G01N 21/6458 (2013.01); G02B 21/06 (2013.01); G02B 21/16 (2013.01); G02B 27/0994 (2013.01); G02B 27/106 (2013.01); G02F 1/035 (2013.01); G02F 2203/50 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of forming and shifting a light intensity distribution in a focal area of an objective lens, the method comprising
directing a plurality of portions of coherent input light one by one into a plurality of non-identical two-dimensional pupil areas of a pupil of the objective lens,
wherein each of the plurality of portions of coherent input light is collimated in the pupil of the objective lens, and
wherein the plurality of non-identical two-dimensional pupil areas include at least one pair of two two-dimensional pupil areas which are axially symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of an optical axis of the objective lens, and
separately modulating at least one of the two discrete portions of coherent input light that are directed into the two two-dimensional pupil areas of the at least one pair with regard to its phase by means of an electro optical modulator such as to form the light intensity distribution in the focal area of the objective lens with a local intensity minimum delimited by intensity maxima and to shift the local intensity minimum in the focal area laterally with regard to the optical axis of the objective lens.