Computational polarization microscopy for multidimensional and multicontrast imaging

We present reference-free polarization-sensitive intensity diffraction tomography (PS-IDT), a technique capable of reconstructing the 3D anisotropy distribution in multiple scattering specimens. By illuminating a 3D anisotropic object with circularly polarized plane waves at various angles, we encode structural information into 2D intensity image sets. The 3D anisotropy map is then reconstructed using a vectorial multi-slice beam propagation model coupled with a gradient descent method. We demonstrate the capabilities of PS-IDT for imaging anisotropic materials, including potato starch granules and tardigrades.