Three-dimensional image formation in an interference confocal scanning
microscope under ultra-short pulsed beam illumination is investigated in
this study. The novelty of this new image system is that it keeps
advantages in femtosecond interferometry but also provides a
femtosecond-resolved three-dimensional image without necessarily using an
ultrafast detector. For a 5-fs pulsed beam illumination, spatial
resolution in the axial and transverse directions in this system is
improved by approximately 45% and 15%, respectively, compared with that in
the case of continuous wave illumination. However, strong chromatic
aberration caused by an ultrashort pulsed beam can result in a degradation
of spatial and temporal resolution, whereas weak chromatic aberration may
lead to an improvement in transverse resolution.