Optical arrangement for obtaining information from a sample or an observed object

An optical arrangement for obtaining information from a sample or an observed object, comprising:

• a light source for illuminating the sample or observed object;
• reception device for the light proceeding from the sample or observed object;
• at least one beam splitter having a splitter surface with a transmittive area and a reflective area;
• light from said source being directed to the splitter surface, reflected by the reflective area of the splitter surface to a concave mirror, focused by the concave mirror onto the transmittive area and passing through the latter;
• or
• the light being focused onto the transmittive area, passing through the latter to a concave mirror, being directed from the concave mirror to the splitter surface and being deflected by the reflective area of the latter;
• the focusing being influenced by the geometry of the mirror surface of the concave mirror and distance between the concave mirror and splitter surface;
• a selected beam expansion being predetermined, or
• the wavefront of the light being manipulated for purposes of optimally adapting the light:
• to the characteristics of the rest of the optical component groups;
• or
• to the optical characteristics of the sample;
• or
• to the optical characteristics of the observed object;
• or
• any combination thereof;
• wherein the concave mirror includes a spherical concave mirror and a cylindrical concave mirror provided in the illumination beam path, detection beam path or both,
• wherein the cylindrical concave mirror focuses the illumination light on the splitter surface so as to be expanded in line-shaped manner in x-direction, the splitter surface is inclined by 45° relative to the incident illumination light and has a slit-shaped opening that is likewise expanded in x-direction and forms the transmittive area, the illumination light passing through this opening, and the spherical concave mirror is arranged after the splitter surface in the direction of light flow, the illumination light being reflected back by this spherical concave mirror so as to be rotated by 90° in the y-direction to the splitter surface, where it is deflected toward the sample or toward the detection device by the reflecting rear side of the splitter surface.

An optical arrangement for obtaining information from a sample or an observed object, comprising:

• a light source for illuminating the sample or observed object;
• reception device for the light proceeding from the sample or observed object;
• at least one beam splitter having a splitter surface with a transmittive area and a reflective area;
• light from said source being directed to the splitter surface, reflected by the reflective area of the splitter surface to a concave mirror, focused by the concave mirror onto the transmittive area and passing through the latter;
• or
• the light being focused onto the transmittive area, passing through the latter to a concave mirror, being directed from the concave mirror to the splitter surface and being deflected by the reflective area of the latter;
• the focusing being influenced by the geometry of the mirror surface of the concave mirror and distance between the concave mirror and splitter surface;
• a selected beam expansion being predetermined, or
• the wavefront of the light being manipulated for purposes of optimally adapting the light:
• to the characteristics of the rest of the optical component groups;
• or
• to the optical characteristics of the samples;
• or
• to the optical characteristics of the observed object;
• or
• any combination thereof;
• wherein the concave mirror includes a cylindrical concave mirror and a spherical concave mirror provided in the illumination beam path, detection beam path or both,
• wherein the spherical concave mirror focuses the illumination light on the splitter surface in a punctiform manner, the splitter surface is inclined by 45° to the incident illumination light and has in its center a circular or elliptical opening which forms the transmittive area and through which the illumination light passes, and the cylindrical concave mirror is arranged after the splitter surface in the direction of light flow, which cylindrical concave mirror reflects the illumination light in line-shaped manner back to the splitter surface, where it is deflected toward the sample or toward the detection device by a reflecting rear side of the splitter surface.