Development and Implementation of a multi-focal plane Mueller matrix microscope

We have developed a polarimetric imaging system to obtain full Mueller matrix images within ten-odd seconds. In this work, a specially designed diffractive grating was incorporated in the Mueller matrix imaging system that enables imaging on different focal planes within the specimen simultaneously. Nine multi-focus images of a starch granule providing full polarization characteristics were demonstrated. The approach not only provided axially-resolved ability but also measured the correlations between the polarization information and the inner structure of the starch granule.