High-fidelity single-shot quantitative differential phase microscopy using a pseudothermal Sagnac interferometer

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Biomedical Imaging
• Microscopy

Background:

• Imaging nearly transparent biological samples is challenging due to low contrast.
• Quantitative phase microscopy (QPM) offers label-free imaging capabilities.
• Existing QPM methods may suffer from instability or require multiple shots.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a high-fidelity, single-shot differential quantitative phase microscopy (dQPM) method.
• To enable effective imaging of nearly transparent biological specimens.
• To improve temporal phase stability and robustness against environmental disturbances.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a common-path Sagnac interferometric configuration.
• Employing a pseudothermal light source for high spatial sensitivity.
• Generating dense interference fringes for single-shot imaging.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated high-fidelity imaging of diverse samples.
• Successfully imaged silica microspheres, a USAF phase target, and HeLa cells (fixed and live).
• Validated performance with mouse kidney tissue samples.

Conclusions:

• The proposed single-shot dQPM method provides a robust and sensitive platform for imaging transparent samples.
• The Sagnac interferometer configuration ensures excellent stability.
• This technique is effective for various biological and material science applications.