Hurdling local minima in multiple-plane phase retrieval using a reference passage plane

Abstract

In the multiple-plane phase retrieval technique, adjacent intensity patterns are sequentially processed to recover the phase of a test object wave. For smooth objects and stemming from the small change in amplitude between the adjacent planes, the reconstruction may tend to converge slowly or stagnate. A novel algorithm using a reference passage plane which effectively increases the propagation distances, thereby, increasing the change in amplitude is proposed. The technique improves the reconstructions as demonstrated through simulations and experiments.