Method of phase contrasting

1. A method for phase contrasting, wherein the method comprises:

converting a purely polarized light of an incident light into two orthogonal components, wherein the two orthogonal components comprises: a first purely polarized divergent component and a second purely polarized convergent component, wherein the first purely polarized divergent component is orthogonal to the second purely polarized convergent component;

focusing each of the first purely polarized divergent component and the second purely polarized convergent component into a focal plane, thereby producing axially offset two foci planes,

placing a first portion of a sample at one focus plane of the two foci planes;

combining a phase altered purely polarized light component with a phase unaltered purely polarized light component to form a second purely polarized light;

detecting the second purely polarized light by a channeled detector; and

calculating a first phase change of the first portion of the sample from the second purely polarized light.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

placing a second portion of the sample at the one focus plane of the two foci planes;

combining a second phase altered purely polarized light component with a second phase unaltered purely polarized light component to form a third purely polarized light, wherein the second phase altered purely polarized light component comprises a third phase shifted divergent purely polarized light or a fourth phase shifted convergent purely polarized light, wherein the third phase shifted divergent purely polarized light is orthogonal to the fourth phase shifted convergent purely polarized light;

detecting the third purely polarized light by the channeled detector; and

calculating a second phase change of the second portion of the sample from the third purely polarized light.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the incident light is emitted from a laser device, an LED, or any light source.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the converting, and the combining is performed by a micro-retarder array.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the focusing is performed by an optical device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the channeled detector comprises a single channel photo-diode, a single channel photodiode connected to a lock-in amplifier, a lock-in camera, or a camera.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the combining is performed by a micro-retarder array.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein the channeled detector comprises a single channel photo-diode, a lock-in amplifier, a lock-in camera, or a camera.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the micro-retarder array comprises:

a patterned substrate, wherein the patterned substrate comprises a liquid crystal polymer.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the liquid crystal polymer comprises a half-wave retardance material.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the patterned substrate comprises a plurality of concentric circles.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein each concentric circle of the plurality of concentric circles is a different orientation of a fast axis of a half-wave retardance material.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the purely polarized light comprises a linearly polarized light.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the two orthogonal components comprises a divergent right circular polarized light component and a converging left circular polarized light component.

15. A system comprising:

a first micro-retarder array configured to convert a purely polarized light of an incident light into two components;

an optical device configured to collimate the two components to two foci planes;

a second micro-retarder array configured to combine a set of two components of the incident light, thereby producing a second purely polarized light;

a detector;

a light source;

a half-wave plate, wherein the light source is configured to transmit the incident light to the half-wave plate;

a photoelastic modulator; and

a quarter-wave plate, wherein the photoelastic modulator, the half-wave plate, and the quarter-wave plate are configured to produce the purely polarized light from the incident light.

16. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:

a second optical device, wherein the second optical device is configured to collimate the set of two components of the incident light to the second micro-retarder array.

17. The system of claim 13 , further comprising a sample, wherein the sample is placed at a foci plane of the two foci planes.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein a component of the set of two components of the incident light is altered.