Short-coherence off-axis holographic phase microscopy of live cell dynamics

We demonstrate a single-shot holographic phase microscope that combines short-coherence laser pulses with an off-axis geometry. By introducing a controlled pulse front tilt, ultrashort pulses are made to interfere over a large field-of-view without loss of fringe contrast. With this microscope, quantitative phase images of live cells can be recorded in a full-field geometry without moving parts. We perform phase imaging of HEK293 cells, to study the dynamics of cell volume regulation in response to an osmotic shock. (c) 2012 Optical Society of America