Quantitative Phase Imaging Through Scattering Media

Coherence-controlled holographic microscope (CCHM) is an off-axis holographic system. It enables observation of a sample and its quantitative phase imaging with coherent as well as with incoherent illumination. The spatial and temporal coherence can be modified and thus also the quality and type of the image information. The coherent illumination provides numerical refocusing in wide depth range similarly to a classic coherent-light digital holographic microscopy (HM). Incoherent-light HM is characterized by a high quality, coherence-noise-free imaging with up to twice higher resolution compared to coherent illumination. Owing to an independent, free of sample reference arm of the CCHM the low spatial light coherence induces coherence-gating effect. This makes possible to observe specimen also through scattering media. We have described theoretically and simulated numerically imaging of a two dimensional object through a scattering layer by CCHM using the linear systems theory. We have investigated both strongly and weakly scattering media characterized by different amount of ballistic and diffuse light. The influence of a scattering layer on the quality of a phase signal is discussed for both types of the scattering media. A strong dependence of the imaging process on the light coherence is demonstrated. The theoretical calculations and numerical simulations are supported by experimental data gained with model samples, as well as real biologic objects particularly then by time-lapse observations of live cells reactions to substances producing optically turbid emulsion.