Stimulated emission depletion microscope
Have you ever tried to see something really small, like a tiny bug or a speck of dust? It's hard to see because it's so small! Scientists want to see things that are even smaller than that, like cells and tiny molecules. That's where the stimulated emission depletion microscope, or STED microscope, comes in.
In a STED microscope, scientists use a special kind of light called a laser to see tiny things. The laser shoots out beams of light that are very thin, like tiny needles. These beams of light are so thin that they can go between things that are very close together, like the individual molecules in a cell.
But how do scientists make the laser beams thinner than regular light? They use something called stimulated emission. This means that when the laser beam hits a molecule, it causes the molecule to give off another beam of light that is exactly the same as the original laser beam. This is like when you clap your hands and then someone else claps at the same time- it makes a louder noise! The two beams of light combine, making one beam that is even thinner than the original laser beam.
Scientists can also use something called depletion to make the laser beam even thinner. This means that they use a second laser beam that cancels out some of the first laser beam. This is like when you have two magnets and you put them together- sometimes they push each other away and cancel each other out!
Using these fancy techniques, scientists can make a very, very thin beam of light that can see very tiny things. They can even make pictures of what they see! This helps them learn more about the tiny things that make up our world.
In a STED microscope, scientists use a special kind of light called a laser to see tiny things. The laser shoots out beams of light that are very thin, like tiny needles. These beams of light are so thin that they can go between things that are very close together, like the individual molecules in a cell.
But how do scientists make the laser beams thinner than regular light? They use something called stimulated emission. This means that when the laser beam hits a molecule, it causes the molecule to give off another beam of light that is exactly the same as the original laser beam. This is like when you clap your hands and then someone else claps at the same time- it makes a louder noise! The two beams of light combine, making one beam that is even thinner than the original laser beam.
Scientists can also use something called depletion to make the laser beam even thinner. This means that they use a second laser beam that cancels out some of the first laser beam. This is like when you have two magnets and you put them together- sometimes they push each other away and cancel each other out!
Using these fancy techniques, scientists can make a very, very thin beam of light that can see very tiny things. They can even make pictures of what they see! This helps them learn more about the tiny things that make up our world.