Single-pixel phase imaging via a complex-valued Zernike basis.

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Image Reconstruction
• Computational Imaging

Background:

• Single-pixel phase imaging (SPPI) captures phase information using a single-pixel detector and interferometry.
• Traditional SPPI requires numerous modulations and detections, resulting in prolonged imaging times for M × N images.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel SPPI technique for high-quality phase reconstruction with a significantly reduced sampling ratio.
• To accelerate the imaging process in SPPI without compromising image quality.

Main Methods:

• Introduction of a complex-valued Zernike basis SPPI (Zernike-SPPI) method.
• Utilizing Zernike polynomials as a basis for phase modulation and reconstruction.
• Comparison with existing Hadamard basis SPPI techniques through simulations and experiments.

Main Results:

• Zernike-SPPI demonstrates superior imaging quality compared to Hadamard basis SPPI at sampling ratios below 10%.
• Achieved high-fidelity phase reconstruction with substantially fewer measurements.
• Experimental validation confirms the effectiveness of the proposed Zernike-SPPI approach.

Conclusions:

• Zernike-SPPI offers a significant advancement in achieving fast and high-quality phase imaging.
• This method provides an effective solution for reducing SPPI acquisition time while maintaining excellent reconstruction fidelity.
• The proposed technique paves the way for more efficient phase imaging applications.