Enhanced multiple-plane phase retrieval using adaptive support

In the single-plane phase retrieval method, the use of a fixed object support is not efficient and could lead to inaccurate reconstructions. While there have been adaptive support strategies for the single-plane method, numerical processing is slow because such strategies are based in the space domain. Here a novel adaptive support strategy based in the Fourier domain in conjunction with the multiple-plane phase retrieval method is presented and demonstrated through simulations and experiments. Optimisations of Fourier filter size and mask threshold parameters resulted in 3x faster convergence compared to the conventional multiple-plane method for the test object waves used. The proposed strategy offers fast and automated determination of the object support, affords the use of fewer intensity patterns, and can be adopted in other multiple intensity-based phase retrieval methods.