Microscope apparatus for phase image acquisition

A method of acquiring phase images, comprising:

• splitting an illuminating electromagnetic wave into two components along a first path and a second path at a first location;
• recombining the two components of the illuminating electromagnetic wave at a second location where the first and second paths rejoin;
• loading an object to be observed in the first path between the first and the second locations;
• acquiring a first phase image;
• changing a length of the second path;
• and
• acquiring a second phase image after changing the length of the second path.

A microscope apparatus, comprising:

• a polarizer configured to polarize an illuminating electromagnetic wave;
• a condenser lens configured to make the illuminating electromagnetic wave relatively homogeneous after the polarizer;
• a first beam splitter configured to split the illuminating electromagnetic wave after the condenser;
• a movable reflector module including a dispersion compensator plate;
• a moving mechanism configured to move the movable reflector module by a controlled distance;
• a second beam splitter;
• and
• an objective lens configured to project the illuminating electromagnetic wave propagating after an object to be observed toward an observing device,
• wherein the object is loaded between the first beam splitter and the second beam splitter, the microscope apparatus is configured to split the illuminating electromagnetic wave into two components along two paths at the first beam splitter, a first path goes through the first and the second beam splitters and a second path goes through the movable reflector module to rejoin the first path at the second beam splitter, the microscope apparatus is configured to acquire phase images with interferences of the electromagnetic wave from the two paths with at least two distance settings of the movable reflector module.