Polarization and phase imaging using an LED array microscope

We present a simple low-cost microscope that uses a vectorial extension of Fourier ptychography to recover the absorption, phase and polarization properties of a sample at high-NA across a wide field-of-view. Our principle is validated by experimentally imaging quantitative test targets as well as a plant root and rabbit spinal cord cross-sections, with which we demonstrate the ability to record complex specimen birefringence over 10.4 mm2 field-of-view at 0.73um resolution. Our new Fourier ptychographic approach also enables the measurement and correction of polarization-dependent pupil aberrations. We hope this simplicity helps adapt joint polarization and phase imaging to a wider array of applications.