Object plane detection and phase-amplitude imaging based on transport of intensity equation

Abstract

By using transport of intensity equation (TIE), phase distribution of an object is retrieved from through-focus intensity images. This technique allows simple and robust phase imaging compared with an interferometric approach. However, it is hard to measure phase distribution when a dynamic object moves in the direction of an optical axis. To clear this problem, autofocusing TIE which is based on local statistics is proposed. The proposed technique achieves the detection of the object plane and the retrieval of a focused object phase distribution simultaneously. In this approach, an object plane is determined by the focusing techniques based on local statistics such as variance, gradient, and Laplacian of amplitude distribution, after phase distribution in an image sensor plane is retrieved by the TIE. The performance of these three statistics is evaluated in numerical and optical experiments, and a suitable focus value is determined for precise phase imaging.