LAUSR

Abstract Confocal microscopy is now widely used in biological science for its high resolution and optical sectioning capability. Here we introduce the divided cosine-shaped apertures to further improve its spatial resolution and signal-to-background ratio (SBR). The results show that by adjusting the distribution frequency of cosine-shaped apertures, the axial half width at half maximum (HWHM) can be improved up to 13.5% compared with conventional circular apertures and 11.0% compared with D-shaped apertures. The transverse HWHM can be also improved. Besides, the SBR can be improved up to 12.2% compared with conventional circular apertures and 9.9% compared with D-shaped apertures. With the better performance and simple configuration, this technique shows great potential for imaging in scattering media.