Microsphere-assisted laser speckle polarimetric microscopy

Abstract

This paper presents a robust approach to polarimetric microscopy by integrating microsphere-assisted microscopy, dynamic laser speckle analysis (DLSA), and polarimetric imaging. DLSA creatively transforms laser speckle-induced imaging challenges into opportunities, while simultaneously overcoming traditional polarization interpretation difficulties by analyzing sequence-based variations in speckle pattern, caused by the sample’s polarimetric responses during a full polarimetric measurement. The inclusion of a dielectric microsphere (MS) significantly increases the numerical aperture of the microscopy system, enabling the capture of high-frequency spatial information. A proof-of-concept experiment is conducted on a standard holographic diffraction grating sample. Results obtained from several graphical and numerical statistical analyses demonstrate significant improvements with the incorporation of a silica MS, introducing a cost-effective and non-invasive approach with potential applications in various fields requiring high-precision polarimetric microscopy analyses.