To provide a device 1 and a method for quantitative phase contrast imaging of an object 2 having a light source 3 to illuminate the object 2 with a beam of light an optical ele- ment 4 to collect light diffracted by said object 2 and to collect light not diffracted by said object 2 a beam shearer 5 having a first reflecting surface 10 and a second reflect- ing surface 11 arranged in the light path, wherein a spatial displacement of said beam of light 13 is produced by said first reflecting surface 10 and said second reflecting sur- face 11 of said beam shearer 5, said beam shearer 5 shears said beam collected 13 by said optical element 4 into two, such that two sheared images are produced at an image plane 12 to form an interference pattern, wherein a portion of said sheared beam which is not modulated by said object 2 acts as a reference beam and a sensor 6 located at said image plane 12, which makes the extraction of image information easier and helps in producing non-overlapping images, it is sug- gested that the displacement is adapted to the dimension of said object 2.
