Quantitative Phase Imaging with Incoherent Light*

Microscopy is a crucial in biological, biophysical, and cancer research. Biological samples are often quite transparent, which results in poor contrast ratio in the images from a conventional microscope. Phase Contrast Microscopy (PCM) converts the “invisible: phase information of the sample into the intensity of the images by shifting the relative phase of the different spatial frequency components. A quantitative phase imaging system, known as PRINT, has recently been developed using a laser source. However, the long coherent length of the light source introduces noises due to reflection/scattering from unwanted surfaces in the optical path. In this project, we focus on developing a PCM with the capability to quantitatively measure phase information of a sample using incoherent light. We simulate, construct, and calibrate a microscopy system, and use it to observe objects which are relevant for biophysics research.