Phasor field waves: experimental demonstrations of wave-like properties.

Area of Science:

• Optics
• Computational Imaging
• Wave Physics

Background:

• Non-line-of-sight (NLoS) imaging reconstructs scenes from diffusely reflected light.
• Traditional methods use inverse problem formulations for light propagation and reconstruction.
• Recent work re-frames ToF light transport as wave propagation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally demonstrate the wave-like nature of the phasor field (P-field) wave in ToF imaging.
• To validate P-field wave properties through interference and focusing experiments.
• To establish a foundation for computationally-free NLoS imaging.

Main Methods:

• Design and implementation of a novel P-field source and detector.
• Conducting a double-slit experiment to observe P-field wave interference.
• Performing experiments on independent focusing and imaging of P-field waves and their optical carrier.

Main Results:

• Experimental confirmation of P-field wave interference, analogous to classical wave phenomena.
• Demonstration of mutually-independent focusing and imaging of P-field waves and their optical carrier.
• Validation of the wave propagation model for ToF light transport.

Conclusions:

• The phasor field (P-field) wave exhibits demonstrable wave-like characteristics.
• Computational-free imaging of ToF signals is achievable, leveraging P-field wave properties.
• This research paves the way for fast and energy-efficient NLoS imaging systems.