Shift-variant digital holographic microscopy: inaccuracies in quantitative phase imaging.

Inaccuracies introduced in quantitative phase digital holographic microscopy by the use of nontelecentric imaging systems are analyzed. Computer modeling of the experimental result shows that even negligible errors in the radius and center of curvature of the numerical compensation needed to get rid of the remaining quadratic phase factor introduce errors in the phase measurements; these errors depend on the position of the object in the field-of-view. However, when a telecentric imaging system is utilized for the recording of the holograms, the numerical modeling and experimental results show the shift-invariant behavior of the quantitative-phase digital holographic microscope.