Terahertz Nonlinear Ghost Imaging via Plane Decomposition: Toward Near-Field Micro-Volumetry.

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Optics
• Imaging Science

Background:

• Terahertz time-domain imaging aims to reconstruct an object's electromagnetic morphology.
• Near-field propagation significantly impacts space-time domain information for microscopic features, posing a challenge for image fidelity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the capability of time-resolved nonlinear ghost imaging for field-sensitive micro-volumetry.
• To demonstrate 3D microscopy by leveraging near-field propagation effects.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing time-resolved, field-sensitive detection in nonlinear ghost imaging.
• Implementing plane decomposition to separate information from different depths within a microscopic sample.
• Exploiting space-time coupling dynamics at subwavelength scales.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated complex, time-domain volumetry with subwavelength resolution.
• Successfully resolved internal object planes by discriminating information from different depths.
• Showcased the technique's suitability for objects with sparse micrometric details.

Conclusions:

• Near-field propagation effects, typically a challenge, can be harnessed for 3D microscopy.
• Time-resolved nonlinear ghost imaging enables precise micro-volumetry and depth discrimination.
• The developed approach offers a novel method for high-resolution imaging of microscopic structures.