Lensless ghost imaging with true thermal light

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the first experimental lensless ghost imaging using true thermal light, highlighting its potential for applications across all wavelengths where lenses are impractical, such as x-rays or gamma-rays.

Contribution

It presents the first experimental realization of lensless ghost imaging with true thermal light, expanding imaging techniques to wavelengths without suitable lenses.

Findings

Successful experimental demonstration of lensless ghost imaging with thermal light

Imaging is possible without magnification, suitable for all wavelengths

Numerical analysis suggests potential for magnification away from focal plane

Abstract

We report the first (to our knowledge) experimental demonstration of lensless ghost imaging with true thermal light. Although there is no magnification, the method is suitable for all wavelengths and so may find special applications in cases where it is not possible to use lenses, such as with x-rays or gamma-rays. We also show numerically that some magnification may be realized away from the focal plane, but the image will always be somewhat blurred.