A posteriori quasi-sectioning of the three-dimensional reconstructions of scanning holographic microscopy.

A method to obtain the axial locations of objects reconstructed by scanning holographic microscopy with submicrometer accuracy is presented and demonstrated. The method combines the holographic advantage of capturing three-dimensional (3D) information in a single two-dimensional scan, with the possibility of optically sectioning the 3D holographic reconstruction a posteriori. The method is demonstrated experimentally for pointlike features (fluorescent beads), and the limitation of the method for features of arbitrary size and shape is discussed.