Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 30, 2026
10:16
Digital Inline Holographic Microscopy (DIHM) of Weakly-scattering Subjects
Published on: February 8, 2014
Visibility in ghost imaging with classical partially polarized electromagnetic beams.
Tomohiro Shirai1, Henri Kellock, Tero Setälä
1Electronics and Photonics Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-2-1 Namiki, Tsukuba 305-8564, Japan. t.shirai@aist.go.jp
Optics Letters
|August 3, 2011
Summary
Higher polarization of light beams improves ghost imaging visibility. This study derives expressions showing polarized light yields superior ghost images compared to unpolarized light.
Area of Science:
- Quantum optics
- Classical imaging techniques
Background:
- Ghost imaging is a technique that allows image reconstruction using correlated light beams.
- The influence of light polarization on ghost imaging visibility is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of the degree of polarization of incident light on ghost imaging visibility.
- To derive closed-form expressions for image visibility based on polarization.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of classical second-order ghost imaging.
- Mathematical derivation of visibility expressions for partially polarized electromagnetic beams.
Main Results:
- Visibility of the ghost image increases with the degree of polarization of the incident light.
- Derived expressions confirm that polarized beams provide higher visibility than unpolarized beams.
- Addressed related issues in recent ghost imaging literature.
Conclusions:
- Polarization is a critical parameter for enhancing ghost imaging visibility.
- Optimizing light polarization can lead to improved performance in ghost imaging applications.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Plane Electromagnetic Waves I
The existence of combined electric and magnetic fields that propagate through space as electromagnetic (EM) waves is the most significant prediction of Maxwell's equations. As Maxwell's equations hold in free space, the predicted electromagnetic waves do not require a medium for their propagation. An EM wave comprises an electric field, defined as the force per charge on a stationary charge, and a magnetic field, which is the force per charge on a moving charge.
The EM field is assumed to be a...
The EM field is assumed to be a...
01:29Potential Due to a Polarized Object
A neutral atom consists of a positively charged nucleus surrounded by a negatively charged electron cloud. When placed in an external electric field, the external electric force pulls the electrons and nucleus apart, opposite to the intrinsic attraction between the nucleus and the electrons. The opposing forces balance each other with a slight shift between the center of masses of the nucleus and the electron cloud, resulting in a polarized atom. On the other hand, a few molecules, like water,...
01:10Dual Nature of Electromagnetic (EM) Radiation
Electromagnetic (EM) radiation consists of electric and magnetic field components oscillating in planes perpendicular to each other and mutually perpendicular to radiation propagation through space. EM radiation can be classified as a wave, characterized by the properties of waves such as wavelength (denoted as λ) and frequency (represented by ν).
Wavelength is the distance between two consecutive peaks (the highest point) or troughs (the lowest point) in the wave. Frequency is the number of...
Wavelength is the distance between two consecutive peaks (the highest point) or troughs (the lowest point) in the wave. Frequency is the number of...
01:15Transmission Electron Microscopy
In 1931, physicist Ernst Ruska—building on the idea that magnetic fields can direct an electron beam just as lenses can direct a beam of light in an optical microscope—developed the first prototype of the electron microscope. This development led to the development of the field of electron microscopy. In the transmission electron microscope (TEM), electrons are produced by a hot tungsten element and accelerated by a potential difference in an electron gun, which gives them up to 400 keV in...
01:29Plane Electromagnetic Waves II
Consider a plane wavefront traveling in position x-direction with a constant speed. This wavefront can be utilized to obtain the relationship between electric and magnetic fields with the help of Faraday's law.
01:26Phase Contrast and Differential Interference Contrast Microscopy
Phase-Contrast Microscopes
In-phase-contrast microscopes, interference between light directly passing through a cell and light refracted by cellular components is used to create high-contrast, high-resolution images without staining. It is the oldest and simplest type of microscope that creates an image by altering the wavelengths of light rays passing through the specimen. Altered wavelength paths are created using an annular stop in the condenser. The annular stop produces a hollow cone of...
In-phase-contrast microscopes, interference between light directly passing through a cell and light refracted by cellular components is used to create high-contrast, high-resolution images without staining. It is the oldest and simplest type of microscope that creates an image by altering the wavelengths of light rays passing through the specimen. Altered wavelength paths are created using an annular stop in the condenser. The annular stop produces a hollow cone of...