CONFOCAL IMAGE PROPERTIES OF A CONFOCAL SCANNING LASER VISIBLE-LIGHT FT-RAMAN MICROSCOPE

The confocal Raman microscope is an instrument designed for acquisitio n of high-contrast volumetric Raman spectral images of three-dimension al chemical structures. Little effort, however, has gone into the inve stigation of the spatial imaging properties of this class of confocal microscope. In this paper we present experimental results, obtained wi th a confocal scanning laser visible light FT-Raman microscope we buil t, that demonstrates the high depth resolution and enhanced Raman imag e contrast intrinsic to the confocal Raman microscope design. We explo re these microscope properties through a combination of experimental m easurement and theory based on a paraxial wave diffraction model.