Subwavelength Imaging Using a Solid-Immersion Diffractive Optical Processor
ELIGHT(2024)
Abstract
Phase imaging is widely used in biomedical imaging, sensing, and materialcharacterization, among other fields. However, direct imaging of phase objectswith subwavelength resolution remains a challenge. Here, we demonstratesubwavelength imaging of phase and amplitude objects based on all-opticaldiffractive encoding and decoding. To resolve subwavelength features of anobject, the diffractive imager uses a thin, high-index solid-immersion layer totransmit high-frequency information of the object to a spatially-optimizeddiffractive encoder, which converts/encodes high-frequency information of theinput into low-frequency spatial modes for transmission through air. Thesubsequent diffractive decoder layers (in air) are jointly designed with theencoder using deep-learning-based optimization, and communicate with theencoder layer to create magnified images of input objects at its output,revealing subwavelength features that would otherwise be washed away due todiffraction limit. We demonstrate that this all-optical collaboration between adiffractive solid-immersion encoder and the following decoder layers in air canresolve subwavelength phase and amplitude features of input objects in a highlycompact design. To experimentally demonstrate its proof-of-concept, we usedterahertz radiation and developed a fabrication method for creating monolithicmulti-layer diffractive processors. Through these monolithically fabricateddiffractive encoder-decoder pairs, we demonstrated phase-to-intensitytransformations and all-optically reconstructed subwavelength phase features ofinput objects by directly transforming them into magnified intensity featuresat the output. This solid-immersion-based diffractive imager, with its compactand cost-effective design, can find wide-ranging applications in bioimaging,endoscopy, sensing and materials characterization.
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Key words
Diffractive processors,Solid immersion imaging,Phase-to-intensity transformations
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