Laser illumination for microscope system

A method for microscopic imaging, the method comprising:

• at a laser light source of a microscope system, emitting illumination light along an optical path toward an observation sample;
• and
• at a camera of the microscope system, capturing an image of the observation sample as illuminated by the illumination light, wherein:
• the illumination light is propagated toward the observation sample by a first plurality of optical fibers disposed along the optical path, such that each optical fiber of the first plurality of optical fibers propagates illumination light toward the observation sample, wherein each optical fiber of the first plurality of optical fibers is longer than a coherence length of the illumination light, and wherein a first optical fiber of the first plurality of optical fibers has a first length that differs from a second length of a second optical fiber of the first plurality of optical fibers by at least the coherence length;
• the illumination light is propagated toward the observation sample by a second plurality of optical fibers including at least two optical fibers disposed between the first plurality of optical fibers and the observation sample along the optical path;
• the first plurality of optical fibers and the second plurality of optical fibers collectively define a plurality of light paths of the illumination light along the optical path in which each light path includes one optical fiber of the first plurality of optical fibers and one optical fiber of the second plurality of optical fibers;
• and
• each light path of the plurality of light paths has a total length that differs from the total length of one or more other light paths of the plurality of light paths.

A phase contrast microscope system, comprising:

• a laser light source to emit illumination light;
• a first plurality of optical fibers disposed along an optical path between the laser light source and an observation sample, such that each optical fiber of the first plurality of optical fibers propagates illumination light toward the observation sample, and a source-side cross-sectional profile of the first plurality of optical fibers has a different shape from a sample-side cross-sectional profile of the first plurality of optical fibers, wherein each optical fiber of the first plurality of optical fibers is longer than a coherence length of the illumination light, and wherein each optical fiber of the first plurality of optical fibers differs in length from each other optical fiber of the first plurality of optical fibers by at least the coherence length;
• and
• a second plurality of optical fibers including at least two optical fibers disposed between the first plurality of optical fibers and the observation sample along the optical path;
• wherein the first plurality of optical fibers and the second plurality of optical fibers collectively define a plurality of light paths of the illumination light along the optical path in which each light path includes one optical fiber of the first plurality of optical fibers and one optical fiber of the second plurality of optical fibers;
• wherein each light path of the plurality of light paths has a total length that differs from the total length of one or more other light paths of the plurality of light paths;
• and
• a camera to capture and output images of the observation sample as illuminated by the illumination light.