Abstract: Irradiation light in a visible light region is irradiated to a sample while switching irradiation of infrared light IR having a wavelength that corresponds to the infrared absorption spectrum of an observation target material included in the sample between a first state and a second state. A first image and a second image are generated based on the phase distribution, the intensity distribution, and the polarization direction distribution of the light including the irradiation light that has passed through the sample in synchronization with the switching of the infrared light IR irradiation between the first state and the second state. Subsequently, an output image is generated so as to represent one from among the position, size, and shape based on the difference and/or ratio with respect to the pixel values for each pixel between the first image and the second image.

Abstract: A spatial modulator is provided on a plane conjugate to a sample plane on which a sample is to be placed. The spatial modulator spatially modulates illumination light irradiated to the sample 2 or object light that has passed through or that has been reflected by the sample. A dark-field optical system removes the non-scattered light component of the first object light affected by the spatial light modulator so as to generate second object light. An image sensor records a hologram based on the second object light. A calculation processing apparatus combines complex amplitude information based on the modulation pattern supplied to the spatial light modulator and complex amplitude information based on the hologram with respect to the second object light so as to acquire a phase distribution originating from the sample.