Ernst Abbe worked with Carl Zeiss producing optical
instruments. Without his scientific and mathematical training they would
not have been able to produce such high quality lenses required in the
manufacture of microscopes.
- Born: Eisenach --- 23rd January 1840
- Died: Jena --- 14th January 1905
- Physicist
- Developed optical instruments
- Educated: Universities of Jena & Göttingen
Before Ernst Abbe met Carl Zeiss, optical instruments used crown and
flint glass to make microscope lenses. This limited the magnification and
resolution of microscopes and other optical instruments. In 1879 Abbe met
Otto Schott who was able to develop borate and phosphate glass; these have
very different properties from crown and flint glass and allowed Abbe to
produce an apochromatic oil immersion objective lens. Abbe also designed
the substage condenser.
As a result of this work we are able to use light microscopes which
approach the highest possible resolution available using a light
microscope. The resolution of a microscope is its ability to resolve tiny
detail. Higher resolution can only be obtained by using electrons instead
of light (photons): the highest theoretical resolution of a microscope
depends upon the wavelength of light for a light microscope or the
wavelength of electrons. Therefore electron microscopes have a much higher
resolving power than light microscopes, ie you can see much more detail
with an electron microscope than with a light microscope.
In 1888 Ernst Abbe became the owner of the Zeiss concern. You may own a
pair of binoculars or camera with the Carl Zeiss logo. Today there are
very many companies designing and manufacturing optical instruments, but
Zeiss remain one of the very best over 100 years later.
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