System and method for holographic imaging with discernible image of an object

A system for forming an image of an object, the system comprising:

• an energy source for providing an object energy beam and a reference energy beam, the energy beams being substantially coherent with each other and substantially coherent in space and in time;
• means for directing the object energy beam along a predetermined path of propagation so as to impinge upon and interact with the object, the interaction scattering the energy beam to form scattered energy rays;
• means for directing the reference energy beam along a predetermined path so as to combine with the scattered energy rays forming an interference pattern;
• means for transforming the interference pattern so as to produce a discernible image, the image being recognizable as a likeness of the object;
• a detector for detecting the discernible image so as to preview and to position the object;
• a memory for storing a numerical representation of the discernible image for processing;
• means for introducing a plurality of relative phase differences, the relative differences being between the phase of the object energy beam and the phase of the reference energy beam so as to determine at least one complex value representative of the interference pattern;
• means for generating a plurality of frequencies of the object energy beam and the reference energy beam;
• and
• a computer for processing the stored numerical representations to generate the image of the object.

An optical system for forming an image of an object, the system comprising:

• a tunable laser source for providing a temporally and spatially coherent laser beam;
• a beam splitter for dividing the laser beam into a reference beam and an object beam each beam having a distinct path of propagation;
• a reference-beam lens Positioned in the path of the reference beam for focusing the reference beam to provide a substantially single point source;
• a phase modulator interposed in the path of the object beam for changing the phase of the object beam relative to the reference beam;
• at least one mirror positioned in the path of the object beam subsequent to the phase modulator for redirecting the object beam so as to impinge upon and to interact with the object to form scattered rays having distinct paths of propagation;
• an obstructing member having an aperture, the member positioned in the paths of the scattered rays subsequent to the at least one mirror for obstructing the propagation of a portion of the scattered rays;
• a beam combining member positioned in the path of the reference beam subsequent to the reference-beam lens and subsequent to the aperture, the beam combining member operative to redirect the reference beam so as to combine with and to interfere with the rays propagating through the obstructing member to form an interference pattern;
• an imaging lens having a finite focal length positioned subsequent to the beam combining member for focusing the interference pattern so as to form a discernible image of the object;
• a two-dimensional detector array for detecting the discernible image of the object, the array positioned about at the image plane of the system subsequent to the transforming lens, the detector array being operative to generate signals characterizing the interference pattern;
• and
• a computer operably connected to the detector array for processing the signals to perform a one-dimensional Fourier transform to generate the image of the object.