Incoherent off-axis Fourier holography for different colors using a curved mirror

Abstract

Herein we describe an incoherent off-axis Fourier holographic system that uses a curved mirror in conjunction with color filters to capture holograms. Conceptually, our system is similar to both the Fourier incoherent single channel holography (FISCH) and the incoherent off-axis Fourier holographic (IOFH) systems. Our proposed system, which is termed incoherent off-axis Fourier holography with curved mirror (IOFH-CM), is not as robust in its response to environmental changes when compared to single channel light systems because it relies on dual light pathways. However, IOFH-CM and IOFH have the same three advantages over FISCH. First, replacing the spatial light modulator (SLM) with a curved mirror makes it cost-effective and simple. Second, its light throughput is high; and the third advantage is its ability to capture holograms of samples placed on an optical axis by tilting one mirror. A fourth advantage, compared to IOFH, is its use for different colors because, IOFH-CM requires only a filter change to capture different colors and no other movements of any optical component or camera is necessary. Here, we demonstrate the holographic capabilities of IOFH-CM using three different color filters.