High-speed hyperspectral 3D ghost imaging LiDAR

TL;DR

This paper introduces a high-speed hyperspectral 3D ghost imaging LiDAR system that combines broadband laser, single-pixel detection, and spatiotemporal encoding to achieve rapid, precise 3D and spectral imaging.

Contribution

The authors present a novel hyperspectral 3D ghost imaging LiDAR that overcomes speed limitations of traditional systems using a stochastic laser and spectral ghost imaging in a time-of-flight setup.

Findings

Achieved a line-scanning rate of 60.5 MHz and a point rate of 1.8 GHz.

Ranged with a precision of 0.02 mm within 10 microseconds.

Captured 1.4 nm spectral resolution over 1100-1250 nm in each voxel.

Abstract

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) is widely used in autonomous systems and industrial metrology; however, the simultaneous acquisition of three-dimensional (3D) structure and broadband spectral information remains challenging, as conventional hyperspectral LiDAR relies on wavelength-scanning or spectrometer-based detection that limits speed. Here, we demonstrate a hyperspectral 3D ghost imaging LiDAR that eliminates these bottlenecks. By combining a stochastic broadband laser with single-pixel detection, and integrating spatiotemporal encoding with spectral ghost imaging in a time-of-flight framework, the system enables pulse-resolved recovery of spatial and spectral information. Consequently, we achieve a line-scanning rate of 60.5 MHz (point rate 1.8 GHz) and a ranging precision of 0.02 mm within a 10 {\mu}s integration time. Each voxel contains a 1.4 nm resolution spectrum over 1100-1250 nm, enabling simultaneous 3D imaging and chemical identification. This approach provides a route to high-speed hyperspectral LiDAR for environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, and industrial inspection.