Common-path polarization holography with partial coherent illumination for single-shot Jones matrix measurement

Polarization holographic microscopy (PHM) enables precise characterization of the Jones matrix of anisotropic media (AM), presenting ubiquitous applications in material characterization and biomedical diagnostics. However, existing PHM systems struggle to achieve single-shot imaging while maintaining high spatiotemporal phase sensitivity, limiting the measurement accuracy and imaging efficiency. Here, we present a common-path single-shot Jones matrix holographic microscopy based on partially coherent illumination. By generating two mutually incoherent orthogonally polarized beams for simultaneous illumination and incorporating polarization multiplexing with angle multiplexing, the method enables synchronous acquisition of two orthogonal carrier interferograms without interferometric crosstalk, thereby realizing single-shot reconstruction of the Jones matrix of AM. Benefiting from partially coherent illumination and a stable common-path design, the system significantly enhances spatiotemporal phase sensitivity. The accuracy of the proposed method is validated through Jones matrix reconstruction of polystyrene microspheres and polarizers. The applicability is further demonstrated in the measurement of diverse AM, highlighting its extraordinary potential for anisotropic material characterization and biomedical diagnostics.