Single-shot wavelength-multiplexed phase microscopy under Gabor regime in a regular microscope embodiment.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Microscopy
• Biomedical Imaging

Background:

• Phase imaging microscopy offers coherent sensing capabilities for standard bright-field microscopes.
• Gabor holography provides quantitative phase information but suffers from coherent noise and twin images.
• Existing methods for Gabor holography require complex setups or multiple exposures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a single-shot wavelength multiplexing technique to mitigate coherent noise and twin image disturbances in Gabor phase imaging microscopy.
• To develop a novel algorithm for enhanced quantitative phase retrieval.
• To validate the technique experimentally on static and dynamic phase samples.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a multi-illumination laser source (3 diode lasers) for sample illumination.
• Employing a color digital sensor (RGB camera) to capture wavelength-multiplexed Gabor holograms in a single exposure.
• Implementing a novel algorithm based on a modified Gerchberg-Saxton kernel for image reconstruction.

Main Results:

• Successfully mitigated coherent noise and twin image disturbances in retrieved phase distributions.
• Achieved enhanced quantitative phase images with improved clarity and reduced artifacts.
• Demonstrated experimental validation using resolution test targets and living spermatozoa.

Conclusions:

• The single-shot wavelength multiplexing technique offers a robust solution for overcoming limitations in Gabor phase imaging microscopy.
• This method enhances the quality of quantitative phase information, enabling clearer visualization of microscopic samples.
• The technique is compatible with standard microscope setups and applicable to both static and dynamic biological samples.