pyDHM: A Python library for applications in digital holographic microscopy

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Computational Imaging
• Microscopy

Background:

• Digital Holographic Microscopy (DHM) is a powerful technique for quantitative phase imaging.
• Existing software solutions may lack flexibility or comprehensive algorithm support for diverse DHM configurations.
• There is a need for accessible, open-source tools for DHM data processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce pyDHM, an open-source Python library for Digital Holographic Microscopy (DHM).
• To provide a user-friendly platform with diverse numerical algorithms for DHM image reconstruction.
• To support various optical configurations and phase compensation techniques in DHM.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of phase-shifting algorithms for in-line and off-axis DHM.
• Inclusion of phase compensation for telecentric and non-telecentric optical systems.
• Integration of three distinct propagation algorithms for numerical focusing in DHM and digital holography (DH).

Main Results:

• pyDHM successfully reconstructs amplitude and phase images from DHM data.
• The library supports a wide range of DHM setups, including phase-shifting and different optical geometries.
• Validation using both numerical and experimental holograms confirms the library's accuracy and reliability.

Conclusions:

• pyDHM offers a versatile and robust solution for DHM data analysis.
• The open-source nature of pyDHM promotes accessibility and further development in the field.
• This library empowers researchers to perform advanced quantitative phase imaging with Python.