To discover or create something never before seen, researchers often require technology that doesn’t yet exist. An idea is only an idea until researchers can chart the path to achieve it along with the tools to test it.
While there are countless established methods and tools, innovation can emerge by adding new functionalities, optimizing design or bringing existing methods into a new context. The field of microscopy is the pinnacle of generating new context by providing images that have never been visible to the human eye.
One method for seeing beyond the capabilities of the human eye is polarimetric imaging, which analyzes how an object interacts with light at various angles and geometric planes. Contrary to how polarized sunglasses protect our eyes by restricting certain angles of light, polarimetric imaging detects light at each angle to gather as much detail as possible.