Addressing phase-curvature in Fourier ptychography

In Fourier ptychography, multiple lowresolution images are captured and subsequently combined computationally into a high-resolution, large-field of view micrograph. A theoretical image-formation model based on the assumption of plane-wave illumination from various directions is commonly used, to stitch together the captured information into a high synthetic aperture. The underlying far-field (Fraunhofer) diffraction assumption connects the source, sample, and pupil planes by Fourier transforms. While computationally simple, this assumption neglects phase-curvature due to non-planar illumination from point sources as well as phasecurvature from finite-conjugate microscopes (e.g., using a single-lens for image-formation). We describe a simple, efficient, and accurate extension of Fourier ptychography by embedding the effect of phase-curvature into the underlying forward model. With the improved forward model proposed here, quantitative phase reconstruction is possible even for wide fields-of-views and without the need of image segmentation. Lastly, the proposed method is computationally efficient, requiring only two multiplications: prior and following the reconstruction. Published by Optica Publishing Group under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

Automated summary

Fourier ptychography is a computational method that combines multiple low-resolution images into a high-resolution, large-field of view micrograph. The existing theoretical model neglects the effect of phase-curvature. This paper proposes a simple, efficient, and accurate extension of Fourier ptychography that incorporates phase-curvature into the forward model, enabling quantitative phase reconstruction.