Non-iterative phase retrieval by phase modulation through a single parameter

We report on a novel non-iterative phase retrieval method with which the complex-valued transmission function of an object can be retrieved with a non-iterative computation, with a limited number of intensity measurements. The measurements are taken in either real space or Fourier space, and for each measurement the phase in its dual space is modulated according to a single optical parameter. The requirement found for the phase modulation function is a general one, which therefore allows for plenty of customization in this method. It is shown that quantitative Zernike phase contrast imaging is one special case of this general method. With simulations we investigate the sampling requirements for a microscopy setup and for a Coherent Diffraction Imaging (CDI) setup.