What is the difference between an emission filter and a dichroic filter?

Difference Between an Emission Filter and a Dichroic Filter

Function: Emission filters are designed to allow only specific wavelengths of light (usually the wavelengths of the emitted light from a sample) to pass through, while blocking the unwanted wavelengths.
Placement: In a fluorescence microscopy setup, the emission filter is placed between the specimen and the detector (e.g., camera or eye).
Use: They are used to ensure that the detector only receives the fluorescence emission from the sample, not the excitation light or other ambient light.

Function: Dichroic filters are designed to reflect certain wavelengths of light while allowing others to pass through. They are often used to separate the excitation light from the emitted fluorescence.
Placement: In a fluorescence microscopy setup, the dichroic filter is placed in the light path at an angle, typically 45 degrees, to reflect the excitation light towards the specimen and allow the emitted light to pass through towards the detector.
Use: They are crucial in directing the excitation light to the sample and then allowing the emitted light to be separated and detected, effectively acting as a beam splitter.

Feature	Emission Filter	Dichroic Filter
Function	Blocks unwanted wavelengths, allows specific emission wavelengths to pass	Reflects specific wavelengths, allows others to pass
Placement	Between specimen and detector	At an angle in the light path, before the specimen
Use	Ensures only fluorescence emission reaches the detector	Separates excitation light from emitted fluorescence