Systems and methods for imaging a sample

A method for imaging a sample, wherein the method comprises:

• changing a polarization state of a purely polarized light of an incident light striking a miro-retarder array, thereby inducing a changed polarization state of the polarization state, wherein the micro-retarder array is placed in a rear conjugate focal plane of a microscope;
• projecting the changed polarization state of the polarization state into an object plane of the microscope containing the sample;
• translating the sample through a pattern of polarizations induced by the micro-retarder array to interrogate each location of the sample with multiple polarizations;
• determining a Stokes and Mueller set of parameters, wherein the Stokes and Mueller set of parameters dictate a linear polarization transfer properties of the sample;
• and
• imaging the sample.

A method for imaging a sample, wherein the method comprises:

• changing a polarization state of a purely polarized light of an incident light striking a miro-retarder array, thereby inducing a changed polarization state of the polarization state, wherein the micro-retarder array is placed in a rear conjugate focal plane of a microscope;
• projecting the changed polarization state of the polarization state into an object plane of the microscope containing the sample;
• combining image reconstruction algorithms with a single image, thereby producing a combined polarization dependent image, wherein the single image comprises a low frequency power spectrum, wherein the single image is an image of the sample;
• deconstructing the combined polarization dependent image to produce a plurality of sparsely sampled purely polarized images;
• inpainting, using software, the plurality of sparsely sampled purely polarized images, thereby recovering a set of polarization dependent images;
• and
• imaging the sample.