In order to efficiently image a non-absorbing sample (a phase object), dedicated phase contrast optics are required. Typically, these optics are designed with the assumption that the sample is weakly scattering, implying a linear relation between a sample’s phase and its transmission function. In the strongly scattering, nonlinear case, the standard optics are ineffective, and the transfer functions used to characterize them are uninformative. We use the Fisher information (FI) to assess the efficiency of various phase imaging schemes and to calculate an information transfer function (ITF). We show that a generalized version of Zernike phase contrast is efficient given sufficient prior knowledge of the sample. We show that with no prior knowledge, a random sensing measurement yields a significant fraction of the available information. Finally, we introduce a generalized approach to common path interferometry that can be optimized to prioritize sensitivity to particular sample features. Each of these measurements can be performed using Fourier lenses and phase masks.

中文翻译：

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信息传递作为优化相位成像的框架

为了有效地对非吸收性样品（相位对象）成像，需要专用的相位对比光学系统。通常，在设计这些光学器件时会假设样品散射较弱，这意味着样品的相位与其透射函数之间存在线性关系。在强散射，非线性的情况下，标准光学器件无效，而用于表征它们的传递函数则无用。我们使用Fisher信息（FI）评估各种相位成像方案的效率并计算信息传递函数（ITF）。我们表明，给定足够的样本先验知识，Zernike相衬的广义版本是有效的。我们表明，在没有先验知识的情况下，随机传感测量会产生可用信息的很大一部分。最后，我们针对通用路径干涉测量法引入了一种通用方法，可以对其进行优化以优先考虑对特定样品特征的敏感性。这些测量中的每一个都可以使用傅立叶透镜和相位掩模来执行。