Optimized setup for integral refractive index direct determination applying digital holographic microscopy by reflection and transmission

In this paper the integral refractive index of a microscopic sample was directly measured by applying Digital Holographic Microscopy (DHM) capturing transmission and reflection holograms simultaneously, of the same sample's region, using Mach-Zehnder and Michelson micro interferometers for transmission and reflection holograms capture and modeling the 3D sample in a medium of known refractive index n_m. The system was calibrated using standard polystyrene sphere immersed in water with known diameter and refractive index, and the method was applied for erythrocyte integral refractive index determination. The results are in accordance with predicted, the measurements error of the order of ±0.005 in absolute values.