By 
Ultrafast, compressed spectral-volumetric ultrafast photography simultaneously captures 5D data in one snapshot.
Multidimensional information-rich optical imaging can provide multidimensional information that allows analysis and observation of targets. This can give insight into unknown and mysterious worlds. With its ability to capture dynamic scenes on picosecond–and even femtosecond–timescales, ultrafast multidimensional optical imaging has essential applications in detecting the ultrafast phenomena in physics, biology, and chemistry.
Pump-probe-based ultrafast photography can capture high-resolution multidimensional images but cannot capture irreversible or unstable scenes. Compressed ultrafast photography (CUP) is based on streak imaging and compressed sensing. It surpasses traditional pump probe-based ultrafast imaging. CUP is famous for its single-shot acquisition, high temporal resolution, and high data throughput. It has been used successfully in studies of ultrafast phenomena such as the capture of ultrafast photons and observation of optical Mach cone.
The spatial volumetric distribution of ultrafast phenomena and the spectral composition is crucial for observing dynamic processes and investigating potential mechanisms. Although ultrafast optical imaging has developed rapidly, and a variety of methods with spatial or spectral resolution have been proposed in recent years, so far, no ultrafast imaging technique has been able to acquire temporal-spatial-spectral (x, y, z, t, and l) five-dimensional (5D) information simultaneously with a snapshot.
According to the journal Advanced Photonics a team of international researchers led by Shian Zhang at East China Normal University’s State Key Laboratory of Precision Spectroscopy (SKLPS), recently demonstrated a spectral-volumetric CUP system that simultaneously captures 5D information using a single snapshot measurement. The innovative SV-CUP combines time-of-flight CUP (ToF-CUP) and hyperspectral CUP (HCUP): the ToF-CUP extracts the spatial 3D details, and the HCUP records the spatial-temporal-spectral 4D information. Finally, the full complement of 5D data can be retrieved by combining HCUP and ToF-CUP according to their time-stamped relationships.
The system has spatial resolutions of 0.39, 0.35, and 3 mm in the x, y, and z directions. This is demonstrated experimentally using a quantum-dot-coated 3D model. The field of view measures 8.8 mm by 6.3 mm by 15 mm. This can be easily adjusted by changing the tube lens to suit the scene. The impressive results of 5D imaging with hyperspectral resolution and spectral frame intervals of 1.72 nm and two ps each contribute to a remarkable performance.
Combining image processing, compressed sensing, and computational imaging, SV-CUP offers a new scheme to improve dimensionality in ultrafast optical imagery. Zhang says SV-CUP offers new insights into ultrafast phenomena in physics, biochemistry, and physics.
Comments