Interference microscopy involves measurements of differences in the path between two beams of light that have been split.123 The interacting waves of the two beams constructively or destructively interfere, which can be measured via interferometry to visualize microscopic objects.
Interference microscopy enables visualization and measurement of transparent or nearly transparent specimens, such as living cells or thin films, without the need for staining by converting phase shifts in light into differences in amplitude or contrast visible to the observer.
In materials science and surface metrology, interference microscopy is also widely used to characterize surface topography and quantify micro-scale surface irregularities, with vertical resolutions on the order of nanometers achievable through multi-beam interference techniques.4
Types include:
- Classical interference microscopy
- Differential interference contrast microscopy
- Fluorescence interference contrast microscopy
- Interference reflection microscopy
References
References
- Barr, Valarie A.; Bunnell, Stephen C. (2009). "Interference Reflection Microscopy". Current Protocols in Cell Biology. 45: Unit 4.23. doi:10.1002/0471143030.cb0423s45. PMC 2824538. PMID 20013754.
- Jinming Zhang; Mirsaeid Sarollahi; Shirley Luckhart; Maria J. Harrison; Andreas E. Vasdekis (April 29, 2024). "Quantitative phase imaging by gradient retardance optical microscopy". Scientific Reports. 14 (1) 9754. Bibcode:2024NatSR..14.9754Z. doi:10.1038/s41598-024-60057-y. PMC 11056386. PMID 38679622.
- Peter J. de Groot; James F. Biegen (July 21, 2016). "Interference microscope objectives for wide-field areal surface topography measurements". Optical Engineering. 55 (7) 074110. Bibcode:2016OptEn..55g4110D. doi:10.1117/1.OE.55.7.074110. Retrieved November 20, 2025.
- Xi Chen; Mikhail E Kandel; Gabriel Popescu (May 4, 2021). "Spatial light interference microscopy: principle and applications to biomedicine". Nature Reviews Methods Primers. 13 (2): 353–425. arXiv:2012.08801. Bibcode:2021AdOP...13..353C. doi:10.1364/AOP.417837. PMC 9048520. PMID 35494404.