Systems and methods of all-optical fourier phase contrast imaging using dye doped liquid crystals

A method of imaging an object, the method comprising:

• generating a coherent beam;
• irradiating an object with the coherent beam;
• collecting at least a part of the beam that irradiated the object;
• Fourier transforming the collected beam;
• phase delaying a portion of the transformed beam relative to another portion of the transformed beam;
• inversely Fourier transforming the partially phased-delayed beam;
• and
• detecting the inversely Fourier transformed beam.

An assembly for converting a conventional microscope into a phase contrast microscope, the conventional microscope comprising a microscope objective and a specimen stage, wherein the microscope objective is constructed and arranged to collect light directed toward the specimen stage, the assembly comprising:

• a first optical Fourier element that Fourier transforms light, wherein the Fourier transform occurs in a Fourier plane;
• a cell in the Fourier plane and arranged to receive light from the first optical Fourier element, wherein the cell comprises liquid crystal molecules having a phase transition temperature, and wherein at temperatures exceeding the phase transition temperature, light transmitting through the liquid crystal molecules obtains a different phase than light transmitting through the liquid crystal molecules obtains at temperatures below the phase transition temperature;
• a second optical Fourier element arranged to receive light from the cell and inversely Fourier transforms the received light to provide an image;
• an image sensor that detects the image and generates an electronic representation of the image;
• and
• an adaptor capable of coupling the first and second Fourier elements, the cell, and the image sensor to the conventional microscope such that the first Fourier element Fourier transforms light collected by the microscope objective.