Polarized light microscopy relies on the use of a beam of polarized light (waves vibrating in a single plane). To ensure the polarization of the light, a polarizer is placed after the light source, before the sample. The second polarizer, called the analyzer, is placed perpendicular to the first one and therefore cannot let the firstly polarized light pass through. However, a sample placed between the two polarizers disturbs the light beam which will adopt new vibrations, some of which will be able to pass through the analyzer.
Used primarily for the observation and identification of minerals, this technique allows also the identification of different collagen fibers on picro-Sirius red-stained tissue sections. Depending on their thickness and arrangement, these fibers then appear in different colors as illustrated below.
The Axioscan.z1 allows whole slide imaging under linear polarization.
