# Generalizable Holographic Reconstruction via Amplitude-Only Diffusion Priors

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.12728 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.12728/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Placed in Inverse problems and image restoration, one of 14 directions in Diffusion models.
- Builds on 19 of its 59 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 16 Sep 2025.

## Placed in

- Diffusion models / [Inverse problems and image restoration](https://mlsanity.com/diffusion/inverse-problems-and-image-restoration/)

## Builds on (most cited first, 19 of 19)

- [Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2006.11239/) (2020)
- [Score-Based Generative Modeling through Stochastic Differential Equations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2011.13456/) (2020)
- [Generative Modeling by Estimating Gradients of the Data Distribution](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1907.05600/) (2019)
- [Diffusion Posterior Sampling for General Noisy Inverse Problems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.14687/) (2022)
- [Deep Convolutional Neural Network for Inverse Problems in Imaging](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1611.03679/) (2016)
- [MoDL: Model Based Deep Learning Architecture for Inverse Problems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1712.02862/) (2017)
- [Deep Learning Techniques for Inverse Problems in Imaging](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2005.06001/) (2020)
- [Noise2Score: Tweedie's Approach to Self-Supervised Image Denoising without Clean Images](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2106.07009/) (2021)
- [Convolutional Recurrent Neural Networks for Dynamic MR Image Reconstruction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1712.01751/) (2017)
- [Phase recovery and holographic image reconstruction using deep learning in neural networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1705.04286/) (2017)
- [Virtual Wave Optics for Non-Line-of-Sight Imaging](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1810.07535/) (2018)
- [Non-line-of-sight Imaging](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2005.08026/) (2020)
- [DeepNIS: Deep Neural Network for Nonlinear Electromagnetic Inverse Scattering](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1810.03990/) (2018)
- [Deep speckle correlation: a deep learning approach towards scalable imaging through scattering media](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1806.04139/) (2018)
- [Fourier Imager Network (FIN): A deep neural network for hologram reconstruction with superior external generalization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.10533/) (2022)
- [Self-supervised learning of hologram reconstruction using physics consistency](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.08288/) (2022)
- [Deep learning-based holographic polarization microscopy](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2007.00741/) (2020)
- [Resolution analysis in a lens-free on-chip digital holographic microscope](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1906.06231/) (2019)
- [Physics-Aware Style Transfer for Adaptive Holographic Reconstruction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.00482/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Phase retrieval in inline holography is a fundamental yet ill-posed inverse problem due to the nonlinear coupling between amplitude and phase in coherent imaging. We present a novel off-the-shelf solution that leverages a diffusion model trained solely on object amplitude to recover both amplitude and phase from diffraction intensities. Using a predictor-corrector sampling framework with separate likelihood gradients for amplitude and phase, our method enables complex field reconstruction without requiring ground-truth phase data for training. We validate the proposed approach through extensive simulations and experiments, demonstrating robust generalization across diverse object shapes, imaging system configurations, and modalities, including lensless setups. Notably, a diffusion prior trained on simple amplitude data (e.g., polystyrene beads) successfully reconstructs complex biological tissue structures, highlighting the method's adaptability. This framework provides a cost-effective, generalizable solution for nonlinear inverse problems in computational imaging, and establishes a foundation for broader coherent imaging applications beyond holography.