Guidestar-free image-guided wavefront-shaping

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel, guidestar-free wavefront-shaping method enabling non-invasive, widefield imaging through scattering media without the need for illumination control or raster scanning, even for large objects beyond the memory-effect range.

Contribution

It presents a new computational approach for wavefront correction that works blindly and non-invasively, expanding imaging capabilities through highly scattering layers.

Findings

Successful imaging of extended objects through scattering layers.

Wavefront correction achieved without guide-stars or illumination control.

Applicable to microscopy and endoscopy scenarios.

Abstract

Optical imaging through scattering media is a fundamental challenge in many applications. Recently, substantial breakthroughs such as imaging through biological tissues and looking around corners have been obtained by the use of wavefront-shaping approaches. However, these require an implanted guide-star for determining the wavefront correction, controlled coherent illumination, and most often raster scanning of the shaped focus. Alternative novel computational approaches that exploit speckle correlations, avoid guide-stars and wavefront control but are limited to small two-dimensional objects contained within the memory-effect correlations range. Here, we present a new concept, image-guided wavefront-shaping, allowing non-invasive, guidestar-free, widefield, incoherent imaging through highly scattering layers, without illumination control. Most importantly, the wavefront-correction is found even for objects that are larger than the memory-effect range, by blindly optimizing image-quality metrics. We demonstrate imaging of extended objects through highly-scattering layers and multi-core fibers, paving the way for non-invasive imaging in various applications, from microscopy to endoscopy.