Programmable array microscopy with a ferroelectric liquid-crystal spatial light modulator

We present a programmable array microscope that uses a ferroelectric liquid -crystal spatial light modulator (SLM) for dynamic generation of scanning a pertures. A single SLM serves as both the source and the detector aperture array in a double-pass confocal system. Successive aperture frames scan the array across the viewing area for complete imaging of a sample while prese rving depth discrimination Integration of the microscope output across all aperture frames produces a confocal image. (C) 2000 Optical Society of Amer ica.