Self-visualization of transparent microscopic objects in optical glasses under the conditions of the thermal self-action of an illuminating laser beam

Abstract

We demonstrate the process of adaptive self-visualization of small-scale transparent objects and structures in weakly absorbing optical glasses (a glass plate made of K8 and an NS-1 neutral density filter) placed in the Fourier plane of the optical system under the conditions of thermal self-action of the illuminating laser beam. The process is based on the ideology of the classical Zernike phase contrast method. The process is implemented at the level of power of radiation of the illuminated object varying from several milliwatts to tens of watts in the visible and IR spectral ranges. The conducted experiments indicate that the visualization takes place in all glasses and optical elements fabricated from them at an appropriate level of the radiation power.