skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Title: Super-resolution sensing with a randomly scattering analyzer
A randomly scattering analyzer with a multi-element fixed detector aperture located in the far field is introduced as a means to access enhanced spatial sensing information associated with far-subwavelength spatial features. This sensing method allows far-subwavelength spatial resolution with coherent fields scattered from a moving object, or some other relative change that causes a modified field incident on the detector aperture. Experimental optical speckle correlation data with a translated diffusing structure show the salient features, and understanding in relation to the experimental variables is supported by numerical simulations. The conclusion is that more-heavily-scattering analyzers provide better spatial resolution because the measurements are more sensitive to changes in the incident field. Such randomly scattering analyzers offer a new dimension for sensitive coherent optical metrology related to various sensing and motion application domains requiring large offset distances.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1909660
PAR ID:
10518041
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Physical Review
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Physical Review Research
Volume:
3
Issue:
4
ISSN:
2643-1564
Page Range / eLocation ID:
L042045
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Super-resolution optical sensing is of critical importance in science and technology and has required prior information about an imaging system or obtrusive near-field probing. Additionally, coherent imaging and sensing in heavily scattering media such as biological tissue has been challenging, and practical approaches have either been restricted to measuring the field transmission of a single point source, or to where the medium is thin. We present the concept of far-subwavelength spatial sensing with relative object motion in speckle as a means to coherently sense through heavy scatter. Experimental results demonstrate the ability to distinguish nominally identical objects with nanometer-scale translation while hidden in randomly scattering media, without the need for precise or known location and with imprecise replacement. The theory and supportive illustrations presented provide the basis for super-resolution sensing and the possibility of virtually unlimited spatial resolution, including through thick, heavily scattering media with relative motion of an object in a structured field. This work provides enabling opportunities for material inspection, security, and biological sensing. 
    more » « less
  2. We report the experimental demonstration of an optical differentiation wavefront sensor (ODWS) based on binary pixelated linear and nonlinear amplitude filtering in the far-field. We trained and tested a convolutional neural network that reconstructs the spatial phase map from nonlinear-filter-based ODWS data for which an analytic reconstruction algorithm is not available. It shows accurate zonal retrieval over different magnitudes of wavefronts and on randomly shaped wavefronts. This work paves the way for the implementation of simultaneously sensitive, high dynamic range, and high-resolution wavefront sensing. 
    more » « less
  3. We present a general theory for optical imaging of moving objects obscured by heavily scattering random media. Measurements involve collecting a series of speckle intensity images as a function of the position of a moving object. A statistical average intensity correlation can be formed with the potential to provide access to microscopic and macroscopic information about the object. For macroscopic objects and translation distances that are both large relative to the wavelength, there is a clear method to invert measurements to form an image of the hidden object. Opportunities exist for super-resolution sensing and imaging, with far-subwavelength resolution. Importantly, there is no fundamental limit to the thickness of the background randomly scattering medium, other than the practical requirement of detecting an adequate number of photons and sufficient background scatter for developed Gaussian field statistics. The approach can be generalized to any wave type and frequency, under the assumption that there is adequate temporal coherence. Applications include deep tissue in vivo imaging and sensing in and through various forms of environmental clutter. The theory also provides another dimension for intensity interferometry and entangled state detection to the case with motion of the scatterer or emitter. 
    more » « less
  4. Abstract Wavefront sensing is the simultaneous measurement of the amplitude and phase of an incoming optical field. Traditional wavefront sensors such as Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor (SHWFS) suffer from a fundamental tradeoff between spatial resolution and phase estimation and consequently can only achieve a resolution of a few thousand pixels. To break this tradeoff, we present a novel computational-imaging-based technique, namely, the Wavefront Imaging Sensor with High resolution (WISH). We replace the microlens array in SHWFS with a spatial light modulator (SLM) and use a computational phase-retrieval algorithm to recover the incident wavefront. This wavefront sensor can measure highly varying optical fields at more than 10-megapixel resolution with the fine phase estimation. To the best of our knowledge, this resolution is an order of magnitude higher than the current noninterferometric wavefront sensors. To demonstrate the capability of WISH, we present three applications, which cover a wide range of spatial scales. First, we produce the diffraction-limited reconstruction for long-distance imaging by combining WISH with a large-aperture, low-quality Fresnel lens. Second, we show the recovery of high-resolution images of objects that are obscured by scattering. Third, we show that WISH can be used as a microscope without an objective lens. Our study suggests that the designing principle of WISH, which combines optical modulators and computational algorithms to sense high-resolution optical fields, enables improved capabilities in many existing applications while revealing entirely new, hitherto unexplored application areas. 
    more » « less
  5. In situ measurements of the spatiotemporal distribution of dissolved gases in the ocean are useful for a wide variety of applications including monitoring biogeochemical cycles (e.g., methane, oxygen, and carbon dioxide fluxes), detecting pollutants, studying submarine groundwater discharge, and tracking chemical gradients in water columns or sediment interfaces. Over the past two decades, underwater membrane inlet mass spectrometry has emerged as a leading technology for in situ dissolved gas analysis, leveraging various mass analyzers such as quadrupole, ion trap, and cycloidal systems. While quadrupoles and ion traps face challenges such as water vapor interference and resolution limitations, cycloidal analyzers offer higher resolution at low mass-to-charge ratios with reduced power requirements. However, they have historically suffered from sensitivity and sequential analysis limitations. Recent advances, including ion array detectors and computational sensing, now enable simultaneous mass detection and improved sensitivity in cycloidal mass analyzers. This study introduces the development of an underwater coded aperture miniature mass spectrometer (UW-CAMMS), incorporating a cycloidal mass analyzer, ion array detector, and spatially coded apertures. A low-power electronic control system for the UW-CAMMS is designed and characterized, with performance comparable to laboratory-based systems, showcasing progress toward efficient, compact underwater dissolved gas monitoring. This technology can be used to study dynamic processes in marine, freshwater, and brackish systems with high spatial and temporal resolution. 
    more » « less