Multiscale aperture synthesis imager

Area of Science:

• Optics
• Imaging Science
• Computational Imaging

Background:

• Synthetic aperture imaging has revolutionized radar and astronomy.
• Optical implementation is hindered by complex wavefield synchronization needs.
• Existing methods require overlapping measurements for phase coherence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel multiscale aperture synthesis imager (MASI).
• To overcome the limitations of optical synthetic aperture imaging.
• To enable scalable and practical optical synthetic aperture systems.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing parallelism to divide optical challenges into sub-problems.
• Employing a distributed array of coded sensors for independent yet coherent operation.
• Implementing a computational phase synchronization scheme to combine wavefields without overlapping regions.

Main Results:

• Achieving super-diffraction-limit resolution with a single receiver.
• Generating large-scale phase-contrast visualizations through natural light diffraction.
• Resolving sub-micron features at ultralong working distances without lenses.
• Reconstructing 3D shapes over centimeter-scale fields.

Conclusions:

• MASI transforms optical synchronization from a physical to a computational problem.
• The system enables practical deployment of scalable synthetic aperture systems at optical wavelengths.
• MASI offers a new paradigm for high-resolution, lensless imaging.