Single-shot dual-modality quantitative phase and polarization microscopy

Simultaneously reconstructing quantitative phase and birefringence information from a single exposure remains challenging, as existing multimodal imaging methods typically rely on multi-angle illumination or optical path switching, severely limiting temporal resolution. In this study, we propose a single-shot dual-modality microscopy system that combines circularly polarized illumination with color-multiplexed differential phase contrast (cDPC). By employing illumination encoded with color and polarization, together with a reconstruction algorithm, the system synchronously extracts quantitative phase and birefringence parameters from a single intensity image. Imaging experiments on phase targets, sodium urate crystals, potato starch granules, malaria-infected red blood cells, and live paramecia verify the system's high accuracy in phase quantification, birefringence reconstruction, and video-rate dual-modality imaging. The system achieves an imaging speed that is 4 times faster than previous methods. This approach effectively eliminates temporal misalignment and motion artifacts, providing a powerful tool for dynamic live-cell observation, pathological crystal identification, and label-free biomedical imaging.