Sub-Rayleigh dark-field imaging via speckle illumination.

We demonstrate sub-Rayleigh dark-field imaging via speckle illumination. Imaging is achieved with second-order autocorrelated measurement by illuminating objects with hollow conical pseudothermal light. Our scheme can work well for highly transparent amplitude objects, pure phase objects, and even more complex transparent objects. The autocorrelated dark-field images show better resolution than intensity-averaged images and an ability in filtering out low-frequency noises.

Denoising in SVD-based ghost imaging.

By the method of singular-valued decomposition (SVD), ghost imaging (GI) reconstructs the images with high efficiency. However, a small amount of noise can greatly degrade or even destroy the object information. In this paper, we experimentally investigate the method of truncated SVD (TSVD) by selecting the first few largest singular values to enhance the image quality. The contrast-to-noise ratio and structural similarity of the images are improved with appropriate truncation ratios. To further improve the image quality, we analyze the noise effects on TSVD-based GI and introduce additional filters. TSVD-based GI may find its applications in rapid imaging under complicated environment conditions.

Full-color photon-counting single-pixel imaging.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a high-efficiency single-pixel imaging (SPI) scheme by integrating time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC) with time-division multiplexing to acquire full-color images at an extremely low light level. This SPI scheme uses a digital micromirror device to modulate a sequence of laser pulses with preset delays to achieve three-color structured illumination, then employs a photomultiplier tube into the TCSPC module to achieve photon-counting detection. By exploiting the time-resolved capabilities of TCSPC, we demodulate the spectrum-image-encoded signals, and then reconstruct high-quality full-color images in a single round of measurement. Based on this scheme, strategies such as single-step measurement, high-speed projection, and undersampling can further improve imaging efficiency.

Dark-field ghost imaging.

Ghost imaging is a promising technique for shape reconstruction using two spatially correlated beams: one beam interacts with a target and is collected with a bucket detector, and the other beam is measured with a pixelated detector. However, orthodox ghost imaging always provides unsatisfactory results for unstained samples, phase objects, or highly transparent objects. Here we present a dark-field ghost imaging technique that can work well for these "bad" targets. The only difference from orthodox ghost imaging is that the bucket signals rule out the target's unscattered beam. As experimental proof, we demonstrate images of fine copper wires, quartz fibers, scratched and damaged glass plates, a pure phase object, and biospecimens.

Pattern recognition based on the correlated intensity fluctuations of thermal light.

Here we present a pattern recognition scheme based on the intensity correlation of thermal light. We prove theoretically that under spatially incoherent illumination the matched filtering technique can be realized in the ghost imaging field. Using the matched filtering technique, it is possible to distinguish an object from a preestablished set of objects through their ghost images, which are extracted by means of intensity correlation measurement. According to the pattern recognition scheme, we present a numerical simulation in which we can easily identify the character inserted into the object arm from a set of two characters through the position of the autocorrelation peak. This pattern recognition scheme opens up the possibility of performing coherent optical processing under spatially incoherent illumination.

Observation of positive-negative sub-wavelength interference without intensity correlation calculation.

We report an experimental demonstration of positive-negative sub-wavelength interference without correlation. Typically, people can achieve sub-wavelength effects with correlation measurement no matter by using bi-photon or thermal light sources. In this paper, we adopt a thermal light source, and we count the realizations in which the intensities of the definite symmetric points are above or below a certain threshold. The distribution of numbers of these realizations which meet the restriction will show a sub-wavelength effect. With proper constrictions, positive and negative interference patterns are demonstrated.

Flexible Two-Photon Interference Fringes with Thermal Light.

Flexible interference patterning is an important tool for adaptable measurement precisions. We report on experimental results of controllable two-photon interference fringes with thermal light in an incoherent rotational shearing interferometer. The two incoherent beams in the interferometer are orthogonally polarized, and their wavefront distributions differ only in an angle of rotation. The spacings and directions of the two-photon interference fringes vary with the rotation angle, as illustrated in three cases of two-photon correlation measurements in experiment.

Spatial interference: from coherent to incoherent.

We report an optical interference experiment which seems to contradict our common knowledge, in that the formation of the interference pattern originates from a spatially incoherent light source. Our experimental scheme is very similar to Gabor's original proposal of holography [Nature (London) 161, 777 (1948)], except that an incoherent source replaces the coherent one. Though an instantaneous interference pattern between an object wave and reference wave fluctuates irregularly, a well-defined pattern appears in the statistical average, in accord with a hologram in the coherent light case.

Experimental observation of classical subwavelength interference with a pseudothermal light source.

We report the experimental observation of classical subwavelength double slit interference with a pseudothermal light source. The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical simulation using the second order correlation function for the thermal light.