US 2026/0197539 A1 · SNAPSHOT MULTISPECTRAL IMAGING USING A DIFFRACTIVE OPTICAL NETWORK

Abstract

A diffractive optical network-based multispectral imaging system is trained using deep learning to create a virtual spectral filter array at the output image field-of-view. The diffractive multispectral imager performs spatially-coherent imaging over a large spectrum, and at the same time, routes a pre-determined set of spectral channels onto an array of pixels at the output plane, converting a monochrome focal plane array or image sensor into a multispectral imaging device without any spectral filters or image recovery algorithms. Furthermore, the spectral responsivity of this diffractive multispectral imager is not sensitive to input polarization states. Due to its compact form factor and computation-free, power-efficient and polarization-insensitive forward operation, the diffractive multispectral imager can be transformative for various imaging and sensing applications and be used at different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum where high-density and wide-area multispectral pixel arrays are not widely available.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A diffractive optical network for performing multispectral imaging of one or more objects comprising:

one or more optically transmissive and/or reflective layers arranged in one or more optical paths, each of the one or more optically transmissive and/or reflective layers comprising a plurality of physical features located in different locations in each of the layers and having different valued transmission and/or reflection parameters as a function of lateral coordinates across each layer, wherein the one or more optically transmissive and/or reflective layers and the plurality of physical features collectively receive illumination light from the one or more objects and generate a filtered image of the one or more objects at an output plane with a virtual spectral filter array comprising periodically repeating cells located at the output plane, wherein each periodically repeating cell has one or more members capturing at least one wavelength or at least one wavelength range or band;
and
a monochrome image sensor or an opto-electronic detector located at the output plane and positioned to capture a spectrally filtered image of the one or more objects by the virtual spectral filter array.

A method of performing multispectral imaging of one or more objects or an input image comprising:

providing a diffractive optical network comprising:
one or more optically transmissive and/or reflective layers arranged in one or more optical paths, each of the one or more optically transmissive and/or reflective layers comprising a plurality of physical features located in different locations in each of the one or more layers of the network and having different valued transmission and/or reflection parameters as a function of lateral coordinates across each layer, wherein the one or more optically transmissive and/or reflective layers and the plurality of physical features collectively receive multispectral light from the one or more objects or the input image and generate a spectrally filtered image of the one or more objects or the input image at an output plane with a virtual spectral filter array comprising periodically repeating cells located at the output plane wherein each periodically repeating cell has one or more members capturing at least one wavelength or at least one wavelength range or band;
and
a monochrome image sensor or an opto-electronic detector located at the output plane and positioned to capture the spectrally filtered image of the one or more objects or the input image;
and
inputting the multispectral light from the one or more objects or the input image to the diffractive optical network;
capturing the spectrally filtered image of the one or more objects or the input image with the monochrome image sensor or the opto-electronic detector;
and
generating a demosaiced image cube of the spectrally filtered image of the one or more objects or the input image.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Snapshot multispectral imaging using a diffractive optical network

Life of this patent

Snapshot multispectral imaging using a diffractive optical network

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18