Volume Speckle Field Research Articles

Two-wavelength contouring by iterative phase retrieval using volume speckle field

Two-wavelength contouring by iterative phase retrieval using volume speckle field

Ultrahigh-definition dynamic 3D holographic display by active control of volume speckle fields

Holographic displays generate realistic 3D images that can be viewed without the need for any visual aids. They operate by generating carefully tailored light fields that replicate how humans see an actual environment. However, the realization of high-performance, dynamic 3D holographic displays has been hindered by the capabilities of present wavefront modulator technology. In particular, spatial light modulators have a small diffraction angle range and limited pixel number limiting the viewing angle and image size of a holographic 3D display. Here, we present an alternative method to generate dynamic 3D images by controlling volume speckle fields significantly enhancing image definition. We use this approach to demonstrate a dynamic display of micrometre-sized optical foci in a volume of 8 mm × 8 mm × 20 mm. Control of speckle fields yields high-definition 3D holographic images.

Four-element division algorithm for focusing light through scattering medium

Light transport in complex disordered medium, such as white paint, milk, is a fundamental physical phenomenon, and it plays an important role in numerous applications including imaging through turbid layers, and quantum information processes. However, all spatial coherence is lost due to the distorted incident wavefront caused by repeated scattering and interference. Incident coherent light diffuses through the medium and cannot form a geometric focus but a volume speckle field on the imaging plane. In this paper, we propose a four-element division algorithm and experimentally demonstrate that using this algorithm to modulate the incident light, the shaped wavefront can focus through disordered material. At the beginning, we start with four segments on spatial light modulator (SLM), changing the phase of each segment from 0-2πup to search for the optimal phase in terms of the maximal output intensity at a certain field. After the optimal phase of these four segments is found, each of all segments is divided further into four subsegments, so 16 subsegments are formed on the SLM. Just like the first step, the optimal phase is found by cycling the phases of these 16 subsegments. Sequentially, this procedure is repeated several times, so more and more subsegments are obtained. As a result, the modulated input light from SLM can be focused after it has passed through the turbid scattering medium. By employing this approach in the forward scattered experiment, the total pixels of spatial light modulator are divided into 4-4096 segments to shape the incident light. After separately searching for all the optimal phase distributions, we can see that a sharp focusing is gradually achieved. Likewise, in backscattered experiment, 4-1024 segments are used to focus the incident light after passing through the diffuse material. In comparison with stepwise sequential algorithm, the main advantage of our method is that the interference effect of all segments on SLM is taken into consideration, which means that the modulated and the modulating segments are connected with each other. In this way, the signal-to-noise ratio is higher and no iteration is needed. All this experiment shows that the four-element division algorithm can be employed to focus the incident light passing through a disorder material efficiently, which maybe provide a new idea and method in the field of biomedical imaging through scattering medium.

Object localization using the statistical behavior of volume speckle fields

Speckle noise presents challenges in object localization using reconstructed wavefronts. Here, a technique for axial localization of rough test objects based on a statistical algorithm that processes volume speckle fields is demonstrated numerically and experimentally. The algorithm utilizes the standard deviation of phase difference maps as a metric to characterize the object wavefront at different axial locations. Compared with an amplitude-based localization method utilizing energy of image gradient, the technique is shown to be robust against speckle noise.

Quantitative cell imaging using single beam phase retrieval method

Quantitative three-dimensional imaging of cells can provide important information about their morphology as well as their dynamics, which will be useful in studying their behavior under various conditions. There are several microscopic techniques to image unstained, semi-transparent specimens, by converting the phase information into intensity information. But most of the quantitative phase contrast imaging techniques is realized either by using interference of the object wavefront with a known reference beam or using phase shifting interferometry. A two-beam interferometric method is challenging to implement especially with low coherent sources and it also requires a fine adjustment of beams to achieve high contrast fringes. In this letter, the development of a single beam phase retrieval microscopy technique for quantitative phase contrast imaging of cells using multiple intensity samplings of a volume speckle field in the axial direction is described. Single beam illumination with multiple intensity samplings provides fast convergence and a unique solution of the object wavefront. Three-dimensional thickness profiles of different cells such as red blood cells and onion skin cells were reconstructed using this technique with an axial resolution of the order of several nanometers.

Three-dimensional microscopy with single-beam wavefront sensing and reconstruction from speckle fields

Generally, 3D digital holographic microscopy requires the interference of the object wave with a known reference beam under coherent illumination to perform numerical focusing. This configuration may be challenging for some applications, including the use of exotic wavelengths such as x rays, miniaturized instrumentation, etc. Single-beam intensity measurement followed by phase retrieval techniques is attractive for wavefront sensing and reconstruction, including applications with low coherence. We use this method to construct a 3D microscope using volume speckle fields. Transparent phase objects are investigated using this principle. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the application of this principle applied to microscopy.

Selective trapping of multiple particles by volume speckle field

We suggest a new approach for selective trapping of light absorbing particles in gases by multiple optical bottle-beam-like traps created by volume speckle field. We demonstrate stable simultaneous confinement of a few thousand micro-particles in air with a single lowpower laser beam. The size distribution of trapped particles exhibits a narrow peak near the average size of an optical speckle. Thus, the speckleformed traps act as a sieve with the holes selecting particles of a similar size.

Shape and deformation measurements of 3D objects using volume speckle field and phase retrieval

Shape and deformation measurement of diffusely reflecting 3D objects are very important in many application areas, including quality control, nondestructive testing, and design. When rough objects are exposed to coherent beams, the scattered light produces speckle fields. A method to measure the shape and deformation of 3D objects from the sequential intensity measurements of volume speckle field and phase retrieval based on angular-spectrum propagation technique is described here. The shape of a convex spherical surface was measured directly from the calculated phase map, and micrometer-sized deformation induced on a metal sheet was obtained upon subtraction of the phase, corresponding to unloaded and loaded states. Results from computer simulations confirm the experiments.

Interferometric evaluation of angular displacements using phase retrieval

Phase retrieval is carried out using sequential intensity measurements of a volume speckle field and a wave propagation equation. Retrieved phases and phase subtraction facilitate the analysis of wavefronts before and after undergoing a small rotation. Angular displacement between incident planar wavefronts is determined from the unwrapped phase difference, phase diffuser aperture diameter, and the light source wavelength. Numerical simulations confirm the experimental results.

Random phase plate for wavefront sensing via phase retrieval and a volume speckle field

A random phase plate is prepared by illuminating a photoresist plate with a fully developed speckle field and using the developed phase plate (DPP) as a diffuser. Wavefront sensing is implemented using phase retrieval based on the recording of speckle intensity patterns at various distances from the DPP and the wave propagation equation. The effects of the roughness height of the DPP on the phase retrieval are investigated. From simulations a roughness height of lambda/10 results in a speckle field that yields good phase reconstruction for the spherical test wavefront incident on the DPP. From the experiments different portions of the DPP that received varying exposures are examined. A section of the phase plate with a characteristic roughness height facilitated the generation of a speckle field that is optimum for the phase retrieval algorithm. Thus a random phase plate with varying roughness height allows optimized measurements of wavefronts with different curvatures. Analytical expressions describing the second-order intensity statistics (fourth-order field statistics) for a field traversing a specific diffuser are presented. This DPP will not give rise to a fully developed speckle field, but knowing the statistics of the depth of the DPP will facilitate a rigorous treatment of the problem.

Complete wavefront reconstruction using sequential intensity measurements of a volume speckle field

The recording of the volume speckle field from an object at different planes combined with the wave propagation equation allows the reconstruction of the wavefront phase and amplitude without requiring a reference wave. The main advantage of this single-beam multiple-intensity reconstruction (SBMIR) technique is the simple experimental setup because no reference wave is required as in the case of holography. The phase retrieval technique is applied to the investigation of diffusely transmitting and reflecting objects. The effects of different parameters on the quality of reconstructions are investigated by simulation and experiment. Significant enhancements of the reconstructions are observed when the number of intensity measurements is 15 or more and the sequential measurement distance is 0.5 mm or larger. Performing two iterations during the reconstruction process using the calculated phase also leads to better reconstruction. The results from computer simulations confirm the experiments. Analysis of transverse and longitudinal intensity distributions of a volume speckle field for the SBMIR technique is presented. Enhancing the resolution method by shifting the camera a distance of a half-pixel in the lateral direction improves the sampling of speckle patterns and leads to better quality reconstructions. This allows the possibility of recording wave fields from larger test objects.