Dual-channel phase-shifting interferometry for microscopy with second wavelength assistance

Dual-channel phase-shifting interferometry for simultaneous phase microscopy is presented. Red and blue light beams are used for microscope illumination. A 45 tilted beamsplitter replicates the object and reference waves in red light together with the object wave in blue light into two parallel beams. The two resulting quadrature phase-shifting interferograms in red light and the object waves in blue light are generated in the two channels. The two interferograms are recorded simultaneously by a color charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, and can be separated via RGB components of the recorded color patterns without crosstalk. As a result, the phase of tested specimen can be retrieved. The feasibility of the proposed method is demonstrated by test performed on a microscopic specimen.