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Advanced Imaging and Optical Sensing |
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Development of digital optical sensors like charge-coupled devices (CCDs) and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) detector arrays has truly revolutionized optical imaging and sensing. Traditionally, the imaging systems (like hand-held cameras) projected images onto photographic films, and therefore the optical systems relaying the object onto the images have focused on aberration-free 2-D projection of the object onto the image plane. With digital focal plane arrays (FPAs) replacing the photographic films, it is straightforward to apply mathematical transforms and image analysis/processing to the acquired digital image once the optical sampling is complete. This opens up the possibility of designing creative optical systems without requiring that an aberration-free 2D projection is the ultimate goal of the system. Computational imaging and spectroscopy, led by Prof. David Brady (Duke Imaging and Spectroscopy Program, or DISP), has been the most significant example of this generalization. In collaboration with DISP and Prof. Rebecca Willett’s group at Duke, we have demonstrated a wide range of techniques to expand the field-of-view of an imaging system using non-conventional optical systems between the input aperture and the FPA of the imaging system. Our current goal is to expand this much further, into a generalized sampling model of optical systems that gather information. The first effort will focus on consideration of multi-scale optics to enhance the resolution or field-of-view of an imaging system. This combines the availability of micro-optical components and MEMS technology to construct non-conventional optical systems that project different aspects of the optical signal onto the FPA. |
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· Changsoon Kim |
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Project Participants: |
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· Air Force Office of Scientific Research · Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency |
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Project Sponsor: |
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· Prof. David J. Brady, ECE, Duke University · Dr. Scott McCain, Applied Quantum Technologies, Inc. · Dr. Nathan Hagen, Duke University |
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Project Collaborators: |
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Another crucial observation is that the optical intensity is not necessarily the only optical observable that can be measured. We have demonstrated that the mutual coherence function of two optical modes can be directly measured using a carefully-designed quantum system utilizing quantum interference. The quantum interference scheme introduced in our work avoids the noise associated with conventional intensity detectors, and provides substantial advantage when the mutual coherence of the two modes are very weak. |
