What is a polarising microscope?

Abstract

A polarising microscope is used to study transparent and opaque anisotropic materials and to detect birefringent substances such as fibres, spindles, collagen and chromosomes. Unlike an ordinary microscope, it has a polariser before the light source and an analyser (a polariser with a perpendicular axis) in the tube, plus a rotatable stage: with a singly refractive substance, no light passes regardless of rotation; with a birefringent substance, light is deflected and rotation of the stage reveals the object.

Birefringent materials can be distinguished under a polarising microscope, and some can only be observed this way rather than by staining.

Key facts

  • Purpose: observe transparent/opaque anisotropic, birefringent materials
  • Examples: fibres, spindles, collagen, chromosomes
  • Optics: polariser + analyser (perpendicular axes) + rotatable stage
  • Principle: birefringent objects become visible on stage rotation
  • Relevance: basis of fibre/asbestos microscopy (PLM)

The original article is in Chinese; see the Chinese version for the full text. This page provides the English title, abstract and key facts only — translated and compiled from the original, without full verbatim translation.