Phase-shifting digital holographic microscopy with an iterative blind reconstruction algorithm.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Microscopy Techniques
• Digital Image Processing

Background:

• Phase-shifting digital holographic microscopy (PS-DHM) relies on precise phase shifts between holograms for accurate phase map reconstruction.
• Current reconstruction algorithms necessitate known and accurate phase shifts, limiting PS-DHM's practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an iterative-blind phase shift extraction method for PS-DHM.
• To simplify PS-DHM procedures by eliminating the requirement for pre-determined phase shifts.

Main Methods:

• The study proposes an iterative-blind phase shift extraction technique based on demodulating components of recorded holograms.
• A digital holographic microscopy system operating in a slightly off-axis architecture was utilized.
• The method employs three-frame holograms with arbitrary and unequal phase shifts.

Main Results:

• The developed method successfully extracts unknown phase shifts from hologram data.
• Simulated and experimental results validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed technique.
• The technique simplifies PS-DHM by accommodating arbitrary and unequal phase shifts.

Conclusions:

• The presented iterative-blind phase shift extraction method significantly eases the use of PS-DHM.
• This advancement broadens the applicability of PS-DHM in various scientific and engineering fields.
• The method demonstrates robustness and accuracy in both simulated and real-world scenarios.