The present invention relates to systems and methods for quantitative three-dimensional mapping of refractive index in living or non-living cells, tissues, or organisms using a phase-shifting laser interferometric microscope with variable illumination angle. A preferred embodiment provides tomographic imaging of cells and multicellular organisms, and time-dependent changes in cell structure and the quantitative characterization of specimen-induced aberrations in high-resolution microscopy with multiple applications in tissue light scattering.

An apparatus and method are introduced to produce a hologram of an object from electromagnetic radiation, such as incoherent light, received from the object. The electromagnetic radiation is received by a receiving assembly and transformed into a plurality of co-linear co-propagating beams with different focal distances. The interference of the plurality of beams is enabled by projecting components of each beam along a common polarization direction. The interference patterns thus formed are recorded and then processed to form the hologram of the object.

An embodiment of the present invention provides an image information acquisition device comprising: a sample unit for accommodating a sample; a driver for moving the sample unit in a first direction; a light source for irradiating light to a partial region of the sample unit; an optical mirror for reflecting the light having passed through the sample unit, by scattering or diffraction of the light; an image sensor for recording in time-series an interference image generated by light reflected from the optical mirror; and a controller for generating image information of the sample based on a time-dependent change of the interference image.

A lens-less system for holographic imaging or a holographic imaging device is provided. The method/device includes a stationary image sensor to capture an image of a sample illuminated by light from a stationary illumination source. A reference lens-less holographic image may be captured and used as a base line to reduce image artifacts and/or remove noise from the lens-less holographic image. Since real wavefronts produced by a diverging point source are neither perfectly spherical nor planar but a combination of both qualities, theoretical estimates for wavefront reconstruction based on perfectly planar or spherical incident waves cannot be applied accurately. The method/device here provides a solution by performing a calibrated wavefront reconstruction based on equations governing coherent light propagation for both spherical waves and planar waves with a mathematical correlation between numerical magnification and propagation depth to produce accurate three-dimensional details of the object.

An apparatus and method are introduced to produce a hologram of an object from electromagnetic radiation, such as incoherent light, received from the object. The electromagnetic radiation is received by a receiving assembly and transformed into a plurality of co-linear co-propagating beams with different focal distances. The interference of the plurality of beams is enabled by projecting components of each beam along a common polarization direction. The interference patterns thus formed are recorded and then processed to form the hologram of the object.

A hologram recording device includes an image sensor and a light interference generator that is attached to an imaging surface of the image sensor. The light interference generator is configured to generate two light waves whose phases are different from each other from an incident object light, and the image sensor is configured to record interference fringes that are formed from the two light waves as a hologram. The light interference generator includes a first birefringent material, a phase shifter array configured to spatially divide a polarization component whose polarization direction is parallel to or orthogonal to an optic axis of the first birefringent material to change a phase difference in two or more ways, and a polarizer whose transmission axis is in a direction that is inclined with respect to the optic axis of the first birefringent material. The first birefringent material, phase shifter array, and polarizer are arranged in this order starting from a side of incidence of light.

This disclosure relates to a stimulus-responsive dynamic meta-holographic device. According to an aspect of the disclosure, a stimulus-responsive dynamic meta-holographic device can be provided, which includes a metasurface in which a plurality of nanostructures are provided; wherein in the metasurface is provided a liquid crystal layer comprising a plurality of cells that may be altered in arrangements by outer stimulus, wherein the liquid crystal layer, is configured to alter the polarization state of the transmitted beam penetrating the liquid crystal layer as the arrangements of the cells are altered by outer stimulus.