Holographic confocal microscopy

Application of incoherent holography for achievement of the depth-discriminated microscopic imaging was proved. The image quality described by the coherent transfer function is comparable with that of a conventional confocal microscope; the imaging speed can be substantially higher. The observed plane is imaged as a whole, continuously in time, without any scanning system. Besides the amplitude, the phase of the confocal image is reconstructed, carrying information about phase shifts inside the specimen. The depth discrimination property can be enhanced beyond the capability of a conventional confocal microscope by the use of a broad-band illumination.