Reflectional quantitative differential phase microscopy using polarized wavefront phase modulation

Quantitative phase microscopy (QPM), as a label-free and nondestructive technique, has been playing an indispensable tool in biomedical imaging and industrial inspection. Herein, we introduce a reflectional quantitative differential phase microscopy (termed RQDPM) based on polarized wavefront phase modulation and partially coherent full-aperture illumination, which has high spatial resolution and spatio-temporal phase sensitivity and is applicable to opaque surfaces and turbid biological specimens. RQDPM does not require additional polarized devices and can be easily switched from reflectional mode to transmission mode. In addition, RQDPM inherits the characteristic of high axial resolution of differential interference contrast microscope, thereby providing topography for opaque surfaces. We experimentally demonstrate the reflectional phase imaging ability of RQDPM with several samples: semiconductor wafer, thick biological tissues, red blood cells, and Hela cells. Furthermore, we dynamically monitor the flow state of microspheres in a self-built microfluidic channel by using RQDPM converted into the transmission mode.

Automated summary

Reflective quantitative differential phase microscopy (RQDPM), based on polarized wavefront phase modulation and partially coherent full-aperture illumination, is a label-free and nondestructive technique. RQDPM has high spatial resolution and spatio-temporal phase sensitivity, and is applicable to opaque surfaces and turbid biological specimens. RQDPM can be easily switched from reflectional mode to transmission mode and provides topography for opaque surfaces. We experimentally demonstrate the reflectional phase imaging ability of RQDPM with various samples and dynamically monitor the flow state of microspheres in a self-built microfluidic channel by using RQDPM converted into the transmission mode.