Three-dimensional color photon counting microscopy using Bayesian estimation with adaptive priori information

In this Letter, we propose a novel three-dimensional(3D) color microscopy for microorganisms under photonstarved conditions using photon counting integral imaging and Bayesian estimation with adaptive priori information. In photon counting integral imaging, 3D images can be visualized using maximum likelihood estimation(MLE). However, since MLE does not consider a priori information of objects, the visual quality of 3D images may not be accurate. In addition, the only grayscale image can be reconstructed. Therefore, to enhance the visual quality of 3D images, we propose photon counting microscopy using maximum a posteriori with adaptive priori information. In addition, we consider a wavelength of each basic color channel to reconstruct 3D color images. To verify our proposed method, we carry out optical experiments.     

3D passive photon counting automatic target recognition using advanced correlation filters

In this Letter, we present results for detecting and recognizing 3D objects in photon counting images using integral imaging with maximum average correlation height filters. We show that even under photon starved conditions objects may be automatically recognized in passively sensed 3D images using advanced correlation filters. We show that the proposed filter synthesized with ideal training images can detect and recognize a 3D object in photon counting images, even in the presence of occlusions and obscuration.     

基于小波树和哈达玛矩阵的自适应快速三维压缩成像方法

针对光子计数系统实现三维成像速度缓慢的问题,提出一种基于小波树和哈达玛矩阵的自适应快速三维压缩成像方法。利用哈达玛矩阵调制投影图案提高采样效率,被调制的短脉冲结构光照射场景,单像素光子计数探测器采集回波。通过分析低分辨率图像的小波树选择采样区域,使用哈达玛矩阵调制所选采样区域得到的投影图案,可采集图像细节,多阶段采样后利用哈达玛反变换恢复出高分辨率图像。实验结果表明,采集并恢复出一幅512×512像素的三维图像的时间最快可达到41 s。     

Two-dimensional photon counting imaging detector based on a Vernier position sensitive anode readout

A two-dimensional photon counting imaging detector based on a Vernier position sensitive anode is reported. The decode principle and design of a two-dimensionai Vernier anode axe introduced in detail. A photon counting imaging system was built based on a Vernier anode. The image of very weak optical radiation can be reconstructed by image processing in a period of integration time. The resolution is superior to 100 μm according to the resolution test. The detector may realize the imaging of very weak particle flow of high- energy photons, electrons and ions, so it can be used for high-energy physics, deep space exploration, spectral measurement and bio-luminescence detection.     

Three-dimensional integral imaging with improved visualization using subpixel optical ray sensing

In this Letter, we propose an improved three-dimensional (3D) image reconstruction method for integral imaging. We use subpixel sensing of the optical rays of the 3D scene projected onto the image sensor. When reconstructing the 3D image, we use a calculated minimum subpixel distance for each sensor pixel instead of the average pixel value of integrated pixels from elemental images. The minimum subpixel distance is defined by measuring the distance between the center of the sensor pixel and the physical position of the imaging lens point spread function onto the sensor, which is projected from each reconstruction point for all elemental images. To show the usefulness of the proposed method, preliminary 3D imaging experiments are presented. Experimental results reveal that the proposed method may improve 3D imaging visualization because of the superior sensing and reconstruction of optical ray direction and intensity information for 3D objects.     

3D photon counting imaging at 1550 nm with 1.5-GHz sine-wave-gated InGaAs/InP GAPD

We demonstrated a 3D laser imaging system at 1550 nm with a 1.5-GHz sine-wave gated Geiger-mode InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiode (APD). An optical fiber bundle with 100 individual fiber outputs was implemented at the focal plane of the telescope, providing a 2.5-mrad imaging view. The system used single-pixel near-infrared single-photon detector to measure photons at fiber outputs instead of a photon counting array. The 1.5-GHz gated Geiger-mode InGaAs/InP APD with a timing jitter of 290 ps was operated in quasi-continuous mode with detection efficiency of ∼4.3%. We achieved higher than 6-cm surface-to-surface resolution at single-photon level, showing a potential of low-energy and eye-safe laser imaging system for long-distance measurements.     

Pulse-shape-free method for long-range three-dimensional active imaging with high linear accuracy

We present a three-dimensional (3D) imaging method employing linear increasing gain to encode flying time of photons into intensity information. This method obtains both the reflectivity and the depth of scene from only two two-dimensional (2D) images. High linear accuracy between the depth and the intensity information is independent of the laser pulse shape. We demonstrated <1 m linear depth accuracies with two different kinds of laser pulse shape and a 3D scene reconstruction with supperresolution depth mapping when the targets are 800-1100 m away.     

小样本光子图像的统计处理

讨论了一种对小样本光子图像的统计处理方法。在超微弱发光的研究中（例如细胞的超微弱荧光）,由于发光强度极弱,需要用像增强器对超微弱发光图像进行增强得到可视图像,超微弱发光图像不可避免地受到像增强系统暗噪声及背景噪声的影响,使光子图像湮没在噪声中。为从原始图像中检验出信号,根据信号光子和噪声光子的不同统计分布,运用信号检测与的方法判断光子是否属于信号光子,并得到一简明的判据,由此判据剔除图像中的噪声光子,得到信噪比改善的光子图像。并用此方法处理了人掌的超微弱发光光子图像。     

光子计数激光雷达的时间相关卡尔曼深度估计

在高背景噪声和低积分时间的激光雷达远距离成像场景中,针对传统方法得到的深度图像目标被噪声淹没和深度估计偏差较大的问题,提出了一种基于信号光子时间相关性和自适应卡尔曼滤波器的深度信息估计方法。首先,提取在时间上具有聚集特征的光子计数形成集合;然后,分析了影响信号光子在时间上分布的因素并使用静态高斯线性模型来描述该集合;最后将集合中的所有光子飞行时间乱序,输入改进的自适应卡尔曼滤波器,从而迭代估计深度值。在信号噪声比为1的室内,积分时间分别为10 ms和1 ms时,本文方法相对传统的最大似然方法在均方根误差指标上提升了40%和38%。在信噪比约为0.135的室外2 km目标成像实验中,在信号光子数分别为100、33和17的情况下,本文方法成像效果都优于传统最大似然估计方法和时间相关光子快速去噪方法,得到的深度图像都更清晰,噪声更低。在高噪声和短积分时间下,本文方法可以被运用于激光雷达远距离成像的深度信息估计和图像恢复中。     

光子图像统计处理

讨论了一种对有限光子图像累加的统计处理方法。在超微弱发光的研究中（例如细胞的超微弱光），由于发光强度较弱，需要用像增强器对超微弱发光图像进行增强得到可视光子图像，超微弱发光的光子图像不可避免地受到像增强系统暗噪声及背景噪声的影响，使光子图像湮没在噪声中。为从原始图像中检验出信号，常将采集到的有限光子图像进行累加以增加样本数，根据信号光子和噪声光子的不同统计分布，运用似然比检验方法得到有效判断累加图像中某像素是否含有信号光子，由此剔除图像中的噪声光子，得到信噪比改善的光子图像。     

基于时间相关单光子计数的荧光寿命成像技术

采用时域法中的时间相关单光子计数方法记录荧光寿命,时间相关单光子计数采用多波长通道同时记录荧光光子数,可以提高计数效率和信息量,还可以在稳态图像中分离不同荧光团,形成4维图像。并采用多光子激发技术,利用长波长光源发出的两个或多个光子可以激发出一个短波长的光子。多个光子必须几乎同时到达激发点,才能提供被激发分子足够的能量以产生荧光。多光子激发波长较长,生物组织对其散射减小,因而可以穿透到更深层的组织,从而提高荧光成像深度和空间分辨力,并减少对活体样品的损伤。     

Derivation of generalized quantum jump operators and comparison of the microscopic single photon detector models

The recent experiment of Parigi et al. [Science 317, 1890 (2007)] shows, in agreement with theory, that subtraction of one photon can increase the expectation value of the number of photons in the thermal state. This observation agrees with the standard photon counting model in which the quantum jump superoperator (QJS) gives a count rate proportional to the number of photons. An alternate model for indirect photon counting has been introduced by Dodonov et al. [Phys. Rev. A 72, 023816 (2005)]. In their model the count rate is proportional to the probability that there are photons in the cavity, and the cavity field is bidirectionally coupled with a two state quantum system which is unidirectionally coupled to a counting device. We give a consistent first principle derivation of the QJSs for the indirect photon counting scheme and establish the complete relations between the physical measurement setup and the QJSs. It is shown that the time-dependent probability for photoelectron emission event must include normalization of the conditional probability. This normalization was neglected in the previous derivation of the QJSs. We include the normalization and obtain the correct photoelectron emission rates and the correct QJSs and show in which coupling parameter regimes these QJSs are applicable. Our analytical results are compared with the exact numerical solution of the Lindblad equation of the system. The derived QJSs enable analysis of experimental photon count rates in a case where a one-to-one correspondence does not exist between the decay of photons and the detection events.     

Overcoming the shot-noise limitation of three-dimensional active imaging

Depth resolution is limited by the photoelectron shot noise in conventional gain-modulated active three-dimensional (3D) imaging methods. A proposed method, which is based on photon intensity correlation, is presented to overcome the depth resolution limitation. The signal photons are amplified by an imaging intensifier, and are then divided into two beams by a beam splitter. The theory shows that the shot-noise limitation is broken using the strong intensity coherence between the two beams. The experiment results show that the depth resolution of the correlated active 3D imaging method is three times better than that of the shot-noise limitation.     

光子计数集成成像的压缩与重构

集成成像技术作为一种重要的裸眼三维显示技术,在完整记录三维场景信息的同时,庞大的数据量给传输和存储带来了压力。为了实现图像的有效压缩和重构,根据光子计数集成成像的特点,基于分布式压缩感知理论,提出用于图像压缩与重构的方案。该方案将图像分为参考图像和非参考图像两类,对其设置不同的测量率并分别进行重构。为保证非参考图像的重构质量,提出一种联合重构算法。该算法首先对非参考图像进行分块测量,依据与参考图像之间的相关性进行图像块分类,然后结合参考图像测量值信息构建新的测量矢量,利用新的测量矢量完成初次图像重构。为了进一步提升图像重构质量,对初次重构结果进行二次残差补偿重构,获得最终重构结果。最后通过设置不同的测量率进行了大量实验,实验结果表明,所提算法在测量率为0.25时,图像重构质量可以达到30 dB,测量率为0.4时,图像质量可以达到35 dB,算法性能具有一定的优越性。     

用于符合测量的多通道符合计数器

符合测量在量子光学实验中有着重要的应用,它可以用于测量纠缠光子对和单光子干涉等实验。在使用过程中,经常用到三通道或更多通道的符合测量,这种情况下简单的门电路无法满足使用要求,而现场可编程门阵列(FPGA)为实现低成本、小体积的多通道符合计数系统提供了解决方案。同时,基于FPGA的多通道符合计数系统还可以提供ns精度的符合分辨时间,避免本底光噪声对探测器的影响,从而有效抑制偶然符合,进一步提高了多通道符合计数系统的性能。本文介绍了基于FPGA的多通道符合计数器,并实验测量了单光子探测器信号的符合计数。     

Entanglement concentration with strong projective measurement in an optomechanical system

In this work, we study an entanglement concentration scheme in a 3-mode optomechanical system. The scheme is based on phonon counting measurements, which can be performed through photon counting of an auxiliary cavity connected to the mechanical resonator. The amount of entanglement between the two cavity output modes is found to increase logarithmically with the number of detected phonons(photons). Such an entanglement concentration scheme is deterministic since, independently of the number of detected phonons(photons), the measurement always leads to an increase in output entanglement. Besides numerical simulations,we provide analytical results and physical insight for the improved entanglement and the concentration efficiency.     

Photon regeneration experiment for axion search using x-rays

In this Letter we describe our novel photon regeneration experiment for the axionlike particle search using an x-ray beam with a photon energy of 50.2 and 90.7 keV, two superconducting magnets of 3 T, and a Ge detector with a high quantum efficiency. A counting rate of regenerated photons compatible with zero has been measured. The corresponding limits on the pseudoscalar axionlike particle-two-photon coupling constant is obtained as a function of the particle mass. Our setup widens the energy window of purely terrestrial experiments devoted to the axionlike particle search by coupling to two photons. It also opens a new domain of experimental investigation of photon propagation in magnetic fields.     

FNTD radiation dosimetry system enhanced with dual-color wide-field imaging

At high neutron and photon doses Fluorescent Nuclear Track Detectors (FNTDs) require operation in analog mode and the measurement results depend on individual crystal color center concentration (coloration). We describe a new method for radiation dosimetry using FNTDs, which includes non-destructive, automatic sensitivity calibration for each individual FNTD. In the method presented, confocal laser scanning fluorescent imaging of FNTDs is combined with dual-color wide field imaging of the FNTD. The calibration is achieved by measuring the color center concentration in the detector through fluorescence imaging and reducing the effect of diffuse reflection on the lapped surface of the FNTD by imaging with infra-red (IR) light. The dual-color imaging of FNTDs is shown to provide a good estimation of the detector sensitivity at high doses of photons and neutrons, where conventional track counting is impeded by track overlap.     

基于立体像素匹配的图像重构技术研究

为了解决目前全景成像技术中分辨率低的问题,提出了一种新的基于3D场景立体像素光线映射的全景图像计算机重构技术.在全景成像技术中,3D场景的每个立体像素点经全景成像系统的编码系统分别映射在一定区域的多个体元素图像的不同像素点上.在计算机重构全景图像时,根据逆光学路径原理,提出了从立体像素映射到的体元素图像区域中提取对应立体像素的多个2D像素点来重构全景图像,使重构的全景图像最大分辨率可达到传统成像方法图像分辨率的N倍（N为映射区域面积）.提出的立体像素的匹配技术大大提高了重构的计算机全景图像分辨率.     

Correction of ultraviolet single photon counting image distortion

Single photon counting imaging technology has been widely used in space environment detection, astronomy observation, nuclear physics, and ultraweak bioluminescence. However, the distortion of the single photon counting image will badly affect the measurement results. Therefore, the correction of distortion for single photon counting image is very significant. Ultraviolet single photon imaging system with wedge and strip anode is introduced and the influence factor leading to image distortion is analyzed. To correct original distorted image, three different image correction methods, namely, the physical correction, the global correction, and the local correction, are applied. In addition, two parameters, i.e, the position index and the linearity index, are defined to evaluate the performance of the three methods. The results suggest that the correction methods can improve the quality of the initial image without losing gray information of each counting light spot. And the local correction can provide the best visual inspections and performance evaluation among the three methods.