Novel Light Field Imaging Device with Enhanced Light Collection for Cold Atom Clouds

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel light field imaging device that captures multiple views in a single shot, enabling 3D reconstruction of small objects and atom clouds with enhanced light collection and depth of field, using a cost-effective 3D-printed prototype.

Contribution

The paper presents a new light field imaging system capable of single-shot 3D tomography with increased light collection, suitable for cold atom cloud imaging and other applications.

Findings

Successfully reconstructs 3D features of 1 mm$^3$ objects.

Reconstructs 3D fringe patterns of size 100 μm in atom clouds.

Prototype demonstrates cost-effective, rapid deployment using 3D printing.

Abstract

We present a light field imaging system that captures multiple views of an object with a single shot. The system is designed to maximize the total light collection by accepting a larger solid angle of light than a conventional lens with equivalent depth of field. This is achieved by populating a plane of virtual objects using mirrors and fully utilizing the available field of view and depth of field. Simulation results demonstrate that this design is capable of single-shot tomography of objects of size $\mathcal{O}$(1 mm$^3$), reconstructing the 3-dimensional (3D) distribution and features not accessible from any single view angle in isolation. In particular, for atom clouds used in atom interferometry experiments, the system can reconstruct 3D fringe patterns with size $\mathcal{O}$(100 $\mu$m). We also demonstrate this system with a 3D-printed prototype. The prototype is used to take images of $\mathcal{O}$(1 mm$^{3}$) sized objects, and 3D reconstruction algorithms running on a single-shot image successfully reconstruct $\mathcal{O}$(100 $\mu$m) internal features. The prototype also shows that the system can be built with 3D printing technology and hence can be deployed quickly and cost-effectively in experiments with needs for enhanced light collection or 3D reconstruction. Imaging of cold atom clouds in atom interferometry is a key application of this new type of imaging device where enhanced light collection, high depth of field, and 3D tomographic reconstruction can provide new handles to characterize the atom clouds.