Experimentally exploiting the violation of the Lagrange invariant for resolution improvement

Grating-based in-line geometric-phase-shifting incoherent digital holographic system toward 3D videography

Incoherent digital holography (IDH) with a sequential phase-shifting method enables high-definition 3D imaging under incoherent lights. However, sequential recording of multiple holograms renders IDH impractical for 3D videography. In this study, we propose grating-based in-line geometric-phase-shifting IDH. Our method divides orthogonal circularly polarized lights into four copies with a fabricated phase grating and subsequently creates self-interference holograms with geometric phases introduced by a segmented linear polarizer. This enables single-shot recording of holograms without the need for a specially designed image sensor, such as a polarization-sensitive sensor. Moreover, the achievable spatial resolution is higher than that of off-axis methods. As a proof-of-principle experiment, we demonstrated snapshot and video recording of 3D reflective objects using our IDH method. The results confirmed the feasibility of the proposed method.

Recent progress in digital holography with dynamic diffractive phase apertures [Invited]

Digital holography with diffractive phase apertures is a hologram recording technique in which at least one of the interfering waves is modulated by a phase mask. In this review, we survey several main milestones on digital holography with dynamic diffractive phase apertures. We begin with Fresnel incoherent correlation holography (FINCH), a hologram recorder with an aperture of a diffractive lens. FINCH has been used for many applications such as 3D imaging, fluorescence microscopy, superresolution, image processing, and imaging with sectioning ability. FINCH has played an important role by inspiring other digital holography systems based on diffractive phase aperture, such as Fourier incoherent single-channel holography and coded aperture correlation holography, which also are described in this review.

Incoherent digital holography simulation based on scalar diffraction theory

Incoherent digital holography (IDH) enables passive 3D imaging through the self-interference of incoherent light. IDH imaging properties are dictated by the numerical aperture and optical layout in a complex manner [Opt. Express27, 33634 (2019)OPEXFF1094-408710.1364/OE.27.033634]. We develop an IDH simulation model to provide insight into its basic operation and imaging properties. The simulation is based on the scalar diffraction theory. Incoherent irradiance and self-interference holograms are numerically represented by the intensity-based summation of each propagation through finite aperture optics from independent point sources. By comparing numerical and experimental results, the applicability, accuracy, and limitation of the simulation are discussed. The developed simulation would be useful in optimizing the IDH setup.

Coherence aperture restricted spatial resolution for an arbitrary depth plane in incoherent digital holography

Incoherent digital holography (IDH) requires no spatial coherence; however, it requires high temporal coherence for a light source to capture holograms with high spatial resolution. Temporal coherence is often enhanced with a bandpass filter, reducing the light utilization efficiency. Thus, there is a trade-off between spatial resolution and light utilization efficiency. In this paper, we derive a relationship between spatial resolution and temporal coherence by including a conceptual aperture, determined by temporal coherence, in our previous theory of spatial resolution for arbitrary depth planes [Opt. Express27, 33634 (2019)OPEXFF1094-408710.1364/OE.27.033634]. Experimental evaluations verified the effectiveness of our theory, which is useful for the optimization of IDH setups and avoiding the trade-off.

Optimized reconstruction with noise suppression for interferenceless coded aperture correlation holography

A modified nonlinear reconstruction technique with a noise modulation parameter is proposed for interferenceless coded aperture correlation holography (I-COACH), and thus the signal-to-noise ratio of a reconstructed image is improved without sacrifice of the field of view and temporal resolution of the system. In order to obtain the optimal reconstructed image, no-reference structural sharpness (NRSS) is introduced as the evaluation metric of reconstructed image quality during nonlinear reconstruction. On the other hand, the noise modulation function is built in order to analyze the effect of phase on noise when the amplitude of the point spread hologram and object hologram is unity of 1. Both the NRSS and noise modulation functions are combined with nonlinear reconstruction in I-COACH for improving imaging performance. The validities of the proposed method under different experimental conditions have been demonstrated by experiments.

Sampling requirements and adaptive spatial averaging for incoherent digital holography

Incoherent digital holography (IDH) enables passive 3D imaging under spatially incoherent light; however, the reconstructed images are seriously affected by detector noise. Herein, we derive theoretical sampling requirements for IDH to reduce this noise via simple postprocessing based on spatial averaging. The derived theory provides a significant insight that the sampling requirements vary depending on the recording geometry. By judiciously choosing the number of pixels used for spatial averaging based on the proposed theory, noise can be reduced without losing spatial resolution. We then experimentally verify the derived theory and show that the associated adaptive spatial averaging technique is a practical and powerful way of improving 3D image quality.

Review of 3D Imaging by Coded Aperture Correlation Holography (COACH)

Coded aperture correlation holography (COACH) is a relatively new technique to record holograms of incoherently illuminated scenes. In this review, we survey the main milestones in the COACH topic from two main points of view. First, we review the prime architectures of optical hologram recorders in the family of COACH systems. Second, we discuss some of the key applications of these recorders in the field of imaging in general, and for 3D super-resolution imaging, partial aperture imaging, and seeing through scattering medium, in particular. We summarize this overview with a general perspective on this research topic and its prospective directions.

Interferenceless coded aperture correlation holography-a new technique for recording incoherent digital holograms without two-wave interference

Recording digital holograms without wave interference simplifies the optical systems, increases their power efficiency and avoids complicated aligning procedures. We propose and demonstrate a new technique of digital hologram acquisition without two-wave interference. Incoherent light emitted from an object propagates through a random-like coded phase mask and recorded directly without interference by a digital camera. In the training stage of the system, a point spread hologram (PSH) is first recorded by modulating the light diffracted from a point object by the coded phase masks. At least two different masks should be used to record two different intensity distributions at all possible axial locations. The various recorded patterns at every axial location are superposed in the computer to obtain a complex valued PSH library cataloged to its axial location. Following the training stage, an object is placed within the axial boundaries of the PSH library and the light diffracted from the object is once again modulated by the same phase masks. The intensity patterns are recorded and superposed exactly as the PSH to yield a complex hologram of the object. The object information at any particular plane is reconstructed by a cross-correlation between the complex valued hologram and the appropriate element of the PSH library. The characteristics and the performance of the proposed system were compared with an equivalent regular imaging system.

Spectrum and space resolved 4D imaging by coded aperture correlation holography (COACH) with diffractive objective lens

In this Letter, we present an advanced optical configuration of coded aperture correlation holography (COACH) with a diffractive objective lens. Four-dimensional imaging of objects at the three spatial dimensions and with an additional spectral dimension is demonstrated. A hologram of three-dimensional objects illuminated by different wavelengths was recorded by the interference of light diffracted from the objects with the light diffracted from the same objects, but through a random-like coded phase mask (CPM). A library of holograms denoted point spread function (PSF) holograms were prerecorded with the same CPM, and under identical conditions, using point objects along different axial locations and for the different illuminating wavelengths. The correlation of the object hologram with the PSF hologram recorded using a particular wavelength, and at a particular axial location, reconstructs only the object corresponding to the particular axial plane and to the specific wavelength. The reconstruction results are compared with regular imaging and with another well-established holographic technique called Fresnel incoherent correlation holography.

Coded aperture correlation holography-a new type of incoherent digital holograms

We propose and demonstrate a new concept of incoherent digital holography termed coded aperture correlation holography (COACH). In COACH, the hologram of an object is formed by the interference of light diffracted from the object, with light diffracted from the same object, but that passes through a coded phase mask (CPM). Another hologram is recorded for a point object, under identical conditions and with the same CPM. This hologram is called the point spread function (PSF) hologram. The reconstructed image is obtained by correlating the object hologram with the PSF hologram. The image reconstruction of multiplane object using COACH was compared with that of other equivalent imaging systems, and has been found to possess a higher axial resolution compared to Fresnel incoherent correlation holography.

Enhanced super resolution using Fresnel incoherent correlation holography with structured illumination

The structured illumination (SI) technique has already been well established as a resolution enhancer in many studies and well demonstrated in many optical imaging systems during the past decade. The ability to use the SI in incoherent imaging systems was also introduced, especially in fluorescence microscopy. In this Letter, we propose and demonstrate a new approach to combine the SI technique with the recently innovated motionless incoherent holographic system, called Fresnel incoherent correlation holography (FINCH), in order to enhance the resolution beyond the limits achieved in regular imaging with SI. The results obtained by use of SI-FINCH were compared against regular imaging, regular FINCH and SI-imaging.

3D spatial resolution and spectral resolution of interferometric 3D imaging spectrometry

Recently developed interferometric 3D imaging spectrometry (J. Opt. Soc. Am A18, 765 [2001]1084-7529JOAOD610.1364/JOSAA.18.000765) enables obtainment of the spectral information and 3D spatial information for incoherently illuminated or self-luminous object simultaneously. Using this method, we can obtain multispectral components of complex holograms, which correspond directly to the phase distribution of the wavefronts propagated from the polychromatic object. This paper focuses on the analysis of spectral resolution and 3D spatial resolution in interferometric 3D imaging spectrometry. Our analysis is based on a novel analytical impulse response function defined over four-dimensional space. We found that the experimental results agree well with the theoretical prediction. This work also suggests a new criterion and estimate method regarding 3D spatial resolution of digital holography.

Parallel-mode scanning optical sectioning using digital Fresnel holography with three-wave interference phase-shifting

The Fresnel incoherent correlation holography (FINCH) method is applicable to various techniques of imaging, including fluorescence microscopy. Recently, a FINCH configuration capable of optical sectioning, using a scanning phase pinhole, has been suggested [Optica 1, 70 (2014)]. This capability is highly important in situations that demand the suppression of out-of-focus information from the hologram reconstruction of a specific plane of interest, such as the imaging of thick samples in biology. In this study, parallel-mode scanning using multiple phase pinholes is suggested as a means to shorten the acquisition time in an optical sectioning FINCH configuration. The parallel-mode scanning is enabled through a phase-shifting procedure that extracts the mixed term of two out of three interfering beams.