Glass slide can turn microscope into thermometer: Know how
New Delhi : Ever thought about watching the microscope objects while measuring the temperature at the same time? If not, then you can now apply this concept practically. A study reveals that improved glass slide can turn microscope into a thermometer to enable scientists to see tiny objects while also measuring their temperature. The findings are interesting and may soon be introduced in scientific research centres, biology laboratory and high school classes.
The study along with findings is published in the journal Nature Communications. Experts believe that the research may have implications in other industries, such as computers and electronics, which require measurement and control of heat in highly confined spaces.
"We have instruments that magnify incredibly small objects. And we have tools that measure heat, like infrared thermometers," said Ruogang Zhao, an assistant professor in the University at Buffalo in the US. "But we haven't been able to combine them in a low-cost and reliable manner.
This new coating takes a big step in that direction," said Zhao. For past few decades, researchers have tried to combine thermal imaging and microscopy. Images produced from systems that use thermocouples lack resolution and are often too coarse for modern science, researchers said.
Terahertz and infrared thermal mapping techniques interfere with the microscope's lenses. Other techniques are expensive and time-consuming, they said. The new coating is made of a layer of acrylic glass that is sandwiched between two layers of transparent gold. Acrylic glasses are highly used in manufacturing eyeglasses.
Expert says that gold is transparent because it is only 20 nanometres thick; a typical sheet of paper is 100,000 nanometres thick. Engineers formulated the coating so that points where unusual light behaviour occurs can develop within the tri-layered structure.
The coating, which significantly improves the slide's sensitivity to light detection, is added to the glass slides during the manufacturing process. Either the slide or cover slip could receive the coating. To make use of the new coating, a laser is needed, researchers said. Zhao said a common helium-neon laser, which can be flawlessly integrated with most microscopes, will perform the activity.
