Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique

Université Du Maine

Université´ D'aix-Marseille

Myriam Zerrad

Claude Amra

Dominique Ausserre

Refahi Abou Khachfe

Fabien Lemarchand

Michel Lequime

Dominique Ausserré

Ludovic Roussille

The invention relates to an optical device for characterization of a sample () comprising &#x2014;a source () of parallel or collimated light, having an emission spectrum that is continuous over an observation wavelength range of at least 50 nm width, for illuminating the sample (), &#x2014;a detector () of light scattered by the sample (), operating in said observation wavelength range, &#x2014;a filter () for specific spectral weighting arranged on an optical path upstream of the detector () of the scattered light, and &#x2014;a processing unit () for processing the measurement signal in order to extract a characterization parameter of the sample ().

Optical device for characterization of a sample

A contrast-amplifying support for the observation of a sample, comprises a transparent substrate carrying at least one absorbing layer whose complex refractive index N=n&#x2212;jkand thickness are chosen in such a way that the layer behaves in the guise of antireflection layer when it is illuminated under normal incidence at an illumination wavelength &#x3bb; through the substrate, the face of the layer opposite to the d substrate being in contact with a transparent so-called ambient medium whose refractive index nis less than that of the refractive index nof the substrate. Methods for producing a contrast-amplifying support and for observing a sample, or for detecting or assaying at least one chemical or biological species, using such a contrast-amplifying support are provided.

Contrast amplifying support for the observation of a sample, production methods thereof and uses thereof

A method for producing a contrast-amplifying support comprising an absorbing substrate carrying at least one absorbing layer comprises a design step for the support and the following steps: i) choosing an illumination wavelength &#x3bb;; ii) choosing a material constituting the substrate and exhibiting, at illumination wavelength &#x3bb;, a complex refractive index N0=n0&#x2212;jk0 with k0&#x2265;0.01; iii) choosing an ambient medium in contact with the layer on the side opposite to the substrate and exhibiting, at illumination wavelength &#x3bb;, a complex refractive index N3=n3&#x2212;jk3 with k3&#x2265;0; iv) determining a nominal complex refractive index N1=n1&#x2212;jk1 and a nominal thickness e1 of the layer wherein it behaves in the guize of antireflection layer when illuminated under normal incidence at illumination wavelength &#x3bb;; and v) choosing a material constituting the layer and exhibiting, at illumination wavelength &#x3bb;, a complex refractive index whose real and imaginary parts coincide with the nominal complex refractive index.

Method for manufacturing contrast amplifying substrates

The invention relates to a method for observing a sample under optical microscopy, in incoherent, unpolarised light, using a sample substrate including a contrast-amplifying layer having a complex index of refraction. The invention also relates to a method for detecting or metering at least one chemical or biological species using such a sample substrate.

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Marseilles, France

Myriam Zerrad