Light microscope and method for localizing emitters in a sample

A light microscope for localizing emitters in a sample, comprising

• a light source configured to generate an illumination light beam,
• a light modulator configured to modulate a spatial phase distribution and/or amplitude distribution of the illumination light beam,
• an objective configured to focus the modulated illumination light beam into a sample so that an intensity distribution of the illumination light with a local minimum is formed in the sample around a focus of the illumination light beam,
• a tube lens configured to image the modulated illumination light beam into a rear aperture of the objective,
• a detector configured to detect light emissions emanating from the emitters in the sample,
• a first scanning device arranged between the light source and the objective, the first scanning device being configured to shift the focus of the illumination light beam in the sample,
• a control unit configured to shift the local minimum of the intensity distribution to illumination positions around a presumed position of an individual emitter in the sample, and
• a computing unit configured to evaluate the light emissions from the individual emitter respectively detected by the detector at the illumination positions and to estimate a position of the individual emitter based on the evaluation, wherein
• the light microscope comprises a beam expansion optic arranged between the first scanning device and the tube lens.