Focus plane detection criteria in digital holography microscopy by amplitude analysis

We propose and test a focus plane determination method that computes the digital refocus distance of an object investigated by digital holographic microscopy working in transmission. For this purpose we analyze the integrated amplitude modulus as a function of the digital holographic reconstruction distance. It is shown that when the focus distance is reached, the integrated amplitude is minimum for pure amplitude object and maximum for pure phase object. After a theoretical analysis, the method is demonstrated on actual digital holograms for the refocusing of pure amplitude and of pure phase microscopic samples. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.