Photoacoustic microscope

A photoacoustic microscope comprising:

• an objective lens configured to irradiate a specimen with excitation light;
• a light scanning unit configured to deflect the excitation light to scan the specimen along at least a first scanning direction;
• a photoacoustic wave detection unit comprising a plurality of detectors that detect a photoacoustic wave generated by the specimen due to irradiation with the excitation light, the detectors being arranged along a first array direction corresponding to the first scanning direction;
• a combination unit configured to combine a phase of the photoacoustic wave detected by each detector;
• an acoustic lens configured to convert a wavefront of the photoacoustic wave generated by the specimen due to irradiation with the excitation light;
• a drive unit configured to displace at least one of the acoustic lens and the photoacoustic wave detection unit;
• and
• a control unit configured to control the drive unit, in synchronization with scanning of the excitation light along a second scanning direction by the light scanning unit, so that the photoacoustic wave is incident on the photoacoustic wave detection unit perpendicularly, wherein the light scanning unit also deflects the excitation light in the second scanning direction which differs from the first scanning direction, and
• wherein the detectors detect the photoacoustic wave that has the wavefront converted by the acoustic lens.