A COMMON-PATH INTERFEROMETRIC SCATTERING IMAGING SYSTEM AND A METHOD OF USING COMMON-PATH INTERFEROMETRIC SCATTERING IMAGING TO DETECT AN OBJECT

摘要

The present invention relates to a common-path interferometric scattering imaging system and a method of using such a system, where the system comprises: - illuminating means for emitting an illumination beam (L 0 ); - light collecting means for collecting through a common collection optical path: - a scattered beam (L s ) provided by the light scattering on an object (T) of the illumination beam (L 0 ); and - a reference beam (L r ) provided by the reflection on or transmission through an interface (I) of the illumination beam (L 0 ); - image sensing means (D) for receiving and sensing the collected scattered (L s ) and reference (L r ) beams interfering thereon as an interferometric light signal; - attenuation means arranged in the common collection optical path for attenuating the reference beam (L r ) before it arrives at the image sensing means (D); and - processing means (P) to process data corresponding to the interferometric light signal.