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In optics, the numerical aperture (NA) of an optical system is a dimensionless number that characterizes the range of angles over which the system can accept or emit light. By incorporating index of refraction in its definition, NA has the property that it is constant for a beam as it goes from one material to another, provided there is no ...
The ability to resolve features in optical lithography is directly related to the numerical aperture of the imaging equipment, the numerical aperture being the sine of the maximum refraction angle multiplied by the refractive index of the medium through which the light travels. The lenses in the highest resolution "dry" photolithography ...
A lower f-number means a larger relative aperture and more light entering the system, while a higher f-number means a smaller relative aperture and less light entering the system. The f-number is related to the numerical aperture (NA) of the system, which measures the range of angles over which light can enter or exit the system.
All optical microscopes are diffraction-limited because of the wave nature of light. Current research focuses on techniques to go beyond this limit known as the Rayleigh criterion . The use of SIL can achieve spatial resolution better than the diffraction limit in air, for both far-field imaging [ 3 ] [ 4 ] and near-field imaging.
An imaging system may have many individual components, including one or more lenses, and/or recording and display components. Each of these contributes (given suitable design, and adequate alignment) to the optical resolution of the system; the environment in which the imaging is done often is a further important factor.
The optical transfer function of a well-focused (a), and an out-of-focus optical imaging system without aberrations (d). As the optical transfer function of these systems is real and non-negative, the optical transfer function is by definition equal to the modulation transfer function (MTF).
Optical units are dimensionless units of length used in optical microscopy. They are used to express distances in terms of the numerical aperture of the system and the wavelength of the light used for observation. Using these units allows comparison of the properties of different microscopes. [1]
[1] [2] For registration of partial images, a conventional holographic set-up is used with a reference wave, as is usual in optical holography. Capturing multiple exposures allows the numerical emulation of a large numerical aperture objective from images obtained with an objective lens with smaller-value numerical aperture. [ 1 ]