Design of a Tunable Snapshot Multispectral Imaging System through Ray Tracing Simulation

Area of Science:

• Optics and Remote Sensing
• Image Processing

Background:

• Snapshot multispectral imaging is crucial for video-rate remote sensing.
• Current fixed-wavelength systems lack practical flexibility.
• Coded Aperture Snapshot Spectral Imagers (CASSI) are a key technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a tunable multispectral snapshot system.
• To enhance the flexibility of CASSI systems.
• To address the limitations of fixed-wavelength imaging.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a dual prism assembly as the dispersion element in a CASSI system.
• Achieved spectral tuning by adjusting the air gap displacement of the dual prism assembly.
• Employed TracePro™ ray tracing for performance analysis.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated spectral shifts of approximately 1 nm at 400 nm and 12 nm at 700 nm.
• Successfully tuned the spectral range by altering the dual prism's air gap.
• Outlined the optical designs, performance, and trade-offs of the DP-CASSI system.

Conclusions:

• The dual-prism CASSI (DP-CASSI) system offers a practical solution for tunable multispectral snapshot imaging.
• This tunable system significantly improves upon fixed-wavelength limitations in remote sensing.
• The presented design allows for repeatable and verifiable results in spectral imaging research.