Vectorial, high numerical aperture study of Nomarski's differential interference contrast microscope.

It is well known that vectorial analysis is essential to the study of high numerical aperture (NA) bright field scanning microscopes. We have constructed a high NA, vectorial model of a scanned Di.erential Interference Contrast (DIC) microscope which demonstrates that vectorial analysis is even more important to the study of this device. Our model is valid for coherent illumination and is able to model arbitrary scattering objects through the application of rigorous numerical methods for calculating electromagnetic scattering. We use our model to demonstrate how parameters such as sheer and bias a.ect imaging properties of both confocal and conventional scanning type DIC microscopes.