Phase-retrieval and intensity-only reconstruction algorithms for optical diffraction tomography

We compare two methods of reconstructing the complex index-of-refraction distribution of a scattering object from optical scattering data obtained in a set of scattering experiments employing incident monochromatic plane waves. The first method generates an approximate reconstruction directly from the far-field intensity, which is measured as a function of scattering angle for each incident plane wave. The second method uses an iterative phase-retrieval algorithm to extract the phase of the scattered field over any given plane from the measurement of the intensity of the total field over that plane and from a priori object-support information. The reconstruction is then performed from the scattered field that is so determined by using the filtered backpropagation algorithm of diffraction tomography. We compare the performance of the two procedures on computer-simulated and experimental scattering data.