A novel approach for silhouette-free image encryption based on interference is proposed using discrete multiple-parameter fractional Fourier transform (DMPFrFT), which generalizes from fractional Fourier transform. An original image is firstly applied by chaotic pixel scrambling (CPS) and then encoded into the real part of a complex signal. Using interference principle, the complex signal generates three phase-only masks in DMPFrFT domain. The silhouette of the original image cannot be extracted using one or two of the three phase-only masks. The parameters of both CPS and DMPFrFT can also serve as encryption keys to extend the key space, which further enhance the level of cryptosystem security. Numerical simulations are demonstrated to show the feasibility and validity of this approach.

We develop a two-wavelength off-axis digital holography for quantitative phase imaging using flipping in a single interferogram shot. The interference is performed by flipping the relative position of a sample and reference beam, and the two-wavelength information is spatially multiplexed onto a monochromatic charge-coupled device camera simultaneously using polarization modulation. Due to the interferogram containing two-wavelength information with orthogonal interference fringes, the two-wavelength unwrapped information on the phase and thickness for the sample is extracted from a single shot. Our setup requires no pinholes, gratings, or dichroic mirrors with straightforward alignment. We demonstrate the operation of the setup with a step target and circular pillar.

A common-path parallel-quadrature on-axis phase-shifting interferometry using a modified Michelson configuration with a polarizing cube beam splitter is proposed for quantitative phase measurement. The frequency spectrum of the circularly polarized object beam is split into two beams using a beam splitter. One beam is converted to a 45° linearly polarized beam to act as the object beam, and the other beam is low-filtered by a pinhole mirror to act as the reference beam. Two interferograms with quadrature phase shift can be simultaneously captured by combining the 45° linearly polarized object beam with the circularly polarized reference beam through a 45° tilted polarizing cube beam splitter, and the phase of a specimen can be then retrieved through a two-step phase-shifting algorithm. Experiments are carried out to demonstrate the validity and stability of the proposed method.