Laser microscope

A laser microscope for observing a specimen, comprising:

• a laser beam radiation mechanism including at least one laser light source to evoke a linear phenomenon on the specimen and at least one short-pulse laser light source to evoke a non-linear phenomenon on the specimen, and a laser beams combining optical system to combine the laser beams emitted from the laser light source and the short-pulse laser light source;
• a scanning optical system to scan the laser beam combined by and outputted from the laser beam radiation mechanism in at least one direction;
• an objective lens to condense the laser beam scanned by the scanning optical system to the specimen, and to receive from the specimen the lights generated by the linear and the non-linear phenomenon evoked by condensation of the laser beam;
• a first beam splitter which is arranged between the objective lens and the scanning optical system, and selectively separates the light emitted from the specimen by the linear phenomenon evoked by the laser beam emitted from the laser light source and the combined laser beam, from the light from the specimen by the non-linear phenomenon evoked by the laser beam emitted from the short-pulse laser light source;
• a first photodetector to detect the light generated by the non-linear phenomenon separated by the first beam splitter;
• a second beam splitter which is arranged between the laser beam radiation mechanism and the scanning optical system, and selectively separates the combined laser beam from the light emitted from the specimen by the linear phenomenon evoked by the laser beam emitted from the laser light source;
• and,
• a second photodetector which includes a pinhole arranged at a position conjugative to the focal point of the objective lens, and detects the light passing the pinhole among the light generated by the linear phenomenon separated by the second beam splitter.

A laser microscope for observing a specimen, comprising:

• a laser beam radiation means to radiate a laser beam;
• a scanning optical system to scan the laser beam radiated from the laser beam radiating means in at least one direction;
• a condensing means to condense the laser beam scanned by the scanning optical system onto the specimen, to receive from the specimen the light generated by a linear phenomenon, the light generated by a non-linear phenomenon evoked by condensation of the laser beam and the reflected light;
• a first beam splitter which is arranged between the condensing means and the scanning optical system, and selectively separates the laser beam, the light obtained from the specimen by the linear phenomenon and the reflected light, from the light obtained from the specimen by the non-linear phenomenon;
• a first photodetector to detect the light generated by the non-linear phenomenon and separated by the first beam splitter;
• a second beam splitter which is arranged between the laser beam radiation means and the scanning optical system, and separates the laser beam from the light obtained from the specimen by the linear phenomenon and the reflected light;
• and,
• a second photodetector to detect the light generated by the linear phenomenon and the reflected light separated by the second beam splitter, so as to include the resolving power in the optical axis direction of the laser beam.