Frequency domain zero padding for accurate autofocusing based on digital holography

The numerical refocusing feature of digital holography enables the reconstruction of a well-focused image from a digital hologram captured at an arbitrary out-of-focus plane without the supervision of end users. However, in general, the autofocusing process for getting a highly focused image requires a considerable computational cost. In this study, to reconstruct a better-focused image, we propose the zero padding technique implemented in the frequency domain. Zero padding in the frequency domain enhances the visibility or numerical resolution of the image, which allows one to measure the degree of focus with more accuracy. A coarse-to-fine search algorithm is used to reduce the computing load, and a graphics processing unit (GPU) is employed to accelerate the process. The performance of the proposed scheme is evaluated with simulation and experiment, and the possibility of obtaining a well-refocused image with an enhanced accuracy and speed are presented.