Beyond memory-effect matrix-based imaging in scattering media by acousto-optic gating

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel imaging method that combines acousto-optic gating with matrix-based techniques to achieve diffraction-limited imaging beyond the traditional memory-effect limit in scattering media.

Contribution

The authors demonstrate a robust approach that extends the field of view in scattering media imaging by integrating acousto-optic spatial-gating with advanced matrix-based methods.

Findings

Achieves diffraction-limited imaging beyond the optical memory-effect.

Utilizes computational processing of scattered light fields under scanned acousto-optic modulation.

Applicable when ultrasound focus size matches the memory-effect range.

Abstract

Imaging inside scattering media at optical resolution is a longstanding challenge affecting multiple fields, from bio-medicine to astronomy. In recent years, several groundbreaking techniques for imaging inside scattering media, in particular scattering-matrix based approaches, have shown great promise, but usually suffer from a restricted field of view (FOV) due to their reliance on the optical 'memory-effect'. Here, we demonstrate that by combining acousto-optic spatial-gating with state-of-the-art matrix-based imaging techniques, diffraction-limited imaging beyond the optical memory-effect can be achieved in a robust fashion. Specifically, we show that this can be achieved by computational processing of scattered light fields captured under scanned acousto-optic modulation. The approach can be directly utilized whenever the ultrasound focus size is of the order of the memory-effect range, independently of the scattering angle.