Microscope images of strongly scattering objects via vectorial transfer matrices: Modeling and an experimental verification

Alexander B. Stilgoe, Vincent L. Y. Loke, Anatolii V. Kashchuk, Timo A. Nieminen, and Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop

We present an accurate and efficient method for calculating the image of a mesoscopic particle that is captured using a high-numerical-aperture objective lens. We test various scattering models of silica, plastic, and birefringent vaterite spheres in water. We show that the calculated images accurately replicate experimental observations. This method uses the idea that the optical system can be represented as a product of matrices acting on the electromagnetic field in a truncated Hilbert space representation. A general reusable matrix encapsulating the polarization, limited capture angle, or beam shaping in the microscope can be applied to find the image and not be limited to a particular particle shape or medium. We show that the image obtained from this method can be used to determine and match particle properties. We also use incoherent averaging on multiple T-matrices to produce polychromatic images. Data obtained using this method could be used as an input to track the general behavior of particles in suspension or within an optical trap.

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