Broadband quantitative phase microscopy with extended field of view using off-axis interferometric multiplexing.

Area of Science:

• Optical imaging
• Interferometry
• Microscopy

Background:

• Off-axis interferometry is a powerful technique for quantitative phase imaging.
• Existing setups have limitations in field of view (FOV), restricting the observation area.
• Broadband illumination and diffractive phase microscopy are advanced imaging modalities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel portable imaging configuration to enhance the FOV of off-axis interferometers.
• To enable simultaneous capture of two distinct FOVs from a single sample.
• To facilitate high-speed imaging of dynamic biological samples with an expanded imaging area.

Main Methods:

• A new portable module is attached to existing off-axis interferometers.
• The module optically multiplexes two off-axis interferograms with orthogonal fringe patterns onto a single camera.
• The two interferograms, each containing a different FOV, are separated and reconstructed in the spatial-frequency domain.

Main Results:

• The proposed configuration effectively doubles the field of view (FOV) of off-axis interferometric imaging systems.
• Two complex wavefronts from different sample regions are reconstructed simultaneously from a single exposure.
• The technique allows for fast dynamic recording over an extended imaging area.

Conclusions:

• The developed portable imaging configuration significantly expands the FOV for off-axis interferometry.
• This method is compatible with broadband illumination and diffractive phase microscopy.
• The technique was successfully demonstrated for quantitative phase microscopy of various biological samples, including cells and diatom shells.