The effect of aberrations on the axial response of confocal imaging systems

SUMMARY A confocal scanning microscope permits three‐dimensional imaging of a volume specimen. The role of lens aberrations on the axial response of the system is considered both experimentally and theoretically. It is found that primary coma, for example, plays no part in the axial response from a perfect reflector. The role of detector size is also considered and compared with theory. In general, the effect of aberrations is increased as the size of the detector is increased.