Different Channels to Transmit Information in a Scattering Medium

TL;DR

This paper explores how different channels within a scattering medium can transmit information, revealing that valid channels are crucial for effective image transmission and that deep learning can identify multiple channels matching various source encodings.

Contribution

It demonstrates that a scattering medium can support multiple distinct channels for imaging, and highlights the importance of valid channels for preserving the convolution law in shift-invariant systems.

Findings

Different channels exist within a scattering medium for imaging.

Valid channels are essential for maintaining the convolution law.

Deep learning can identify multiple source-matching channels.

Abstract

A channel should be built to transmit information from one place to another. Imaging is 2 or higher dimensional information communication. Conventionally, an imaging channel comprises a lens and free spaces of its both sides. The transfer function of each part is known; thus, the response of a conventional imaging channel is known as well. Replacing the lens with a scattering layer, the image can still be extracted from the detection plane. That is to say, the scattering medium reconstructs the channel for imaging. Aided by deep learning, we find that different from the lens there are different channels in a scattering medium, i.e., the same scattering medium can construct different channels to match different manners of source encoding. Moreover, we found that without a valid channel the convolution law for a shift-invariant system, i.e., the output is the convolution of its point spread function (PSF) and the input object, is broken, and information cannot be transmitted onto the detection plane. In other words, valid channels are essential to transmit image information through even a shift-invariant system.