High-resolution ghost imaging through complex scattering media via a temporal correction

Abstract

In this Letter, we propose high-resolution ghost imaging (GI) through complex scattering media using temporal correction. We provide evidence that the theoretical description about GI based on spatially correlated beams is still incomplete and cannot work in complex scenarios. We complete the description of temporal correction of beam correlations in GI. The optical experiments demonstrate that high-resolution ghost images can always be retrieved by using the rectified temporally corrected beam correlation algorithm even in complex, dynamic, and highly strong scattering environments where conventional GI cannot work. By using the proposed method, the quality of the retrieved ghost images through complex scattering media can be enhanced effectively as the number of realizations increases, which cannot be achieved by conventional GI. The established general framework provides optical insights beyond the current understanding of GI, and the rectified theory and experimental results would represent a key step toward applications of GI over a wide range of free-space wave propagation environments.