Synthetic aperture superresolution with multiple off-axis holograms

An optical setup to achieve superresolution in microscopy using holographic recording is presented. The technique is based on off-axis illumination of the object and a simple optical image processing stage after the imaging system for the interferometric recording process. The superresolution effect can be obtained either in one step by combining a spatial multiplexing process and an incoherent addition of different holograms or it can be implemented sequentially. Each hologram holds the information of each different frequency bandpass of the object spectrum. We have optically implemented the approach for a low-numerical-aperture commercial microscope objective. The system is simple and robust because the holographic interferometric recording setup is done after the imaging lens.     

Model-based correction of diffraction effects of the virtual source element

A method for ultrasonic synthetic aperture imaging using finite-sized transducers is introduced that is based on a virtual source (VS) concept. In this setup, a focused transducer creates a VS element at its focal point that facilitates the use of synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT). It is shown that the performance of the VS method may be unsatisfactory due to the distortion introduced by the diffraction effects of the aperture used for creating the VS element. A solution to this problem is proposed that consists of replacing the classical SAFT by the extended synthetic aperature focusing technique (ESAFT) algorithm presented in our earlier works. In ESAFT, the full geometry of the VS is modeled, instead of applying the simplified point source approximation used when VS is combined with classical SAFT. The proposed method yields a substantial improvement in spatial resolution compared to that obtained using SAFT. Performance of the proposed algorithm is first demonstrated on simulated data, then verified on real data acquired with an array system.     

Synthetic aperture compression scheme for a multipetawatt high-energy laser

High-energy petawatt lasers using the chirped-pulse amplification technique require meter-sized gratings to limit the beam fluence on the surface of the grating. An alternative, studied by many groups, is a mosaic grating consisting of smaller, coherently added gratings. We propose what we believe to be a new compression scheme consisting of beam phasing instead of grating mosaic phasing. This synthetic aperture compression scheme allows us to control the beam thanks to a unique segmented mirror equipped with three degrees of freedom. With this configuration, the beam is divided into small subapertures adapted to the classical grating size. After compression, these subapertures are coherently added before the focusing stage. Therefore the alignment processes are simplified.     

Synthetic aperture focusing technique signal processing

The synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) is briefly reviewed and addressed as a heuristic digital ultrasonic imaging scheme which exploits the idea of back-propagating a set of measured and digitally stored A-scans. It is shown that for a far-field experimental set-up, ie for small, isolated defects remote to the transducer, SAFT reduces to the filtered back-projection imaging scheme which is well known within the framework of conventional X-ray computer tomography. Therefore, alternative data processing via Fourier transforms only, similar to the Fourier slice theorem of tomography, is possible, which sheds considerable light upon the heuristic SAFT pixel-space envelope-detection scheme. The resulting imaging identity has been termed POFFIS (physical optics far-field inverse scattering). The far-field assumption is then omitted yielding a Fourier-transform-SAFT algorithm (FT-SAFT) whose results are identical to back-propagation imaging with the definite advantage of fast processing capabilities based upon standard hardware and allowing immediate implementation of high resolution procedures as well as inclusion of mode-conversion effects; the theoretical background is pulse-echo diffraction tomography. The above results are supported and illustrated by application of all three algorithms — SAFT, POFFIS, FT-SAFT — to experimental data obtained from scanning a line aperture for several test specimens.     

Synthetic aperture focusing for a single-element transducer undergoing helical motion

This paper describes the application of 3-D synthetic aperture focusing (SAF) to a single-element trans-rectal ultrasound transducer. The transducer samples a 3-D volume by simultaneous rotation and translation, giving a helical motion. Two different 3-D SAF methods are investigated, a direct and a two-step approach. Both methods perform almost identically for simulated scatterers and give a significant improvement in azimuth resolution and a constant resolution in elevation. Side lobes below -60 dB are achievable for both methods. Validation of the method is achieved by scanning a simple wire phantom and a complex phantom containing wires in azimuth and elevation. The simple wire phantom shows the same results as that found through simulation. The complex phantom shows simultaneous focusing in azimuth and elevation for the wire scatterers. Consideration of the processing requirements for both 3-D SAF methods shows that the two-step approach can give equivalent performance using an order of magnitude fewer calculations. This reduction requires a temporary storage of 9.1 GB of data for the investigated setup.     

Synthetic aperture imaging for small scale systems

Multi-element synthetic aperture imaging methods suitable for applications with severe cost and size limitations are explored. Array apertures are synthesized using an active multi-element receive subaperture and a multi-element transmit subaperture defocused to emulate a single-element spatial response with high acoustic power. Echo signals are recorded independently by individual elements of the receive subaperture. Each method uses different spatial frequencies and acquisition strategies for imaging, and therefore different sets of active transmit/receive element combinations. Following acquisition, image points are reconstructed using the complete data set with full dynamic focus on both transmit and receive. Various factors affecting image quality have been evaluated and compared to conventional imagers through measurements with a 3.5 MHz, 128-element transducer array on different gel phantoms. Multielement synthetic aperture methods achieve higher electronic signal to noise ratio and better contrast resolution than conventional synthetic aperture techniques, approaching conventional phased array performance     

Effects of source shape on the numerical aperture factor with a geometrical-optics model

We study the effects of an extended light source on the calibration of an interference microscope, also referred to as an optical profiler. Theoretical and experimental numerical aperture (NA) factors for circular and linear light sources along with collimated laser illumination demonstrate that the shape of the light source or effective aperture cone is critical for a correct NA factor calculation. In practice, more-accurate results for the NA factor are obtained when a linear approximation to the filament light source shape is used in a geometric model. We show that previously measured and derived NA factors show some discrepancies because a circular rather than linear approximation to the filament source was used in the modeling.     

大口径热管面源黑体炉的研制及性能评价

针对红外成像光学系统校正,研制了大口径热管面源黑体炉.通过Monte Carlo方法对具有同心圆V形槽表面的辐射特性进行了分析,借助黑体空腔理论完成黑体炉的结构设计,采用热管技术,PIC16F876微处理器和模糊PID开关切换控制算法实现黑体炉的温控.通过试验测试,验证了此辐射源具有均匀一致的有效发射率和辐射出度.     

Synthetic aperture imaging with arrays of arbitrary shape--part I: General case

The problem of synthesizing full-aperture resolution with linear transmitting and receiving arrays of arbitrary shape is considered. The arrays are assumed to lie in the same plane and can be open (e.g., curved or straight line segments) or closed (e.g., circles). It is shown that a full (area) aperture can be synthesized by suitably weighting the transmitted and received signals. This weighting turns out to be the Jacobian of a transformation that yields uniform coverage in the spatial-frequency domain. If the Jacobian is factorable, then full-aperture resolution can be achieved in a single transmission. The theory is illustrated with two annular arrays of different diameter: one that transmits and one that receives. If the radii of the annular arrays are a and b, then the synthesized point-spread function (PSF) is shown to be equivalent to that of a filled circular aperture of radius a+b.     

采用虚拟仪器技术的表面等离子体共振传感器

针对表面等离子体共振(SPR)传感器对精度和数据处理能力的要求,利用虚拟仪器技术,自行设计了一套基于角度扫描的Kretschmann结构SPR测试系统。为了提高折射率的测量分辨力,系统采用了高精度步进电机控制的旋转平台。软件中使用巴特沃思低通滤波器消除出射光干涉噪声引起的高频干扰。同时,提出了一种双棱镜自适应结构对出射光路进行实时调整,实现角度扫描过程中光探测器固定不动。实验测得空气和蒸馏水样品的折射率分别为1.00293和1.33432,结果与理论值基本吻合,且具有良好的重复性和达到10-5RIU(RefractiveIndexUnit)的分辨力。     

Synthetic aperture interferometry: in-process measurement of aspheric optics

A scanning probe consisting of a source and receive fiber pair is used to measure the phase difference between wave fronts scattered from the front and rear surfaces of an aspheric optic. This system can be thought of as a classical interferometer with an aperture synthesized from the data collected along the path of the probe. If the form of either surface is known, the other can be deduced. In contrast with classical interferometers, the method does not need test or null plates and has the potential to be integrated into the manufacturing process.     

Synthetic aperture imaging with arrays of arbitrary shape--part II: The annular array

For pt.I, see ibid., vol.4, no.2, p.399-403 (Apr. 2002). It has been previously shown that full aperture resolution can be achieved with an annular transducer array by transmitting and receiving between all pairs of elements around the array circumference and applying an appropriate weighting function . If there are N elements in the array, this requires N transmissions. This paper shows that full aperture resolution can be obtained with a much smaller number of transmissions (two to four) by using a certain aperture phase weighting on transmit and receive. Thus, full aperture, real-time imaging from an annular array should be feasible.     

机载合成孔径雷达的宽带线性调频源设计

采用“DDS 正交调制 倍频”的结构方式,设计研制出带宽500MHz,时宽15μs的线性调频信号源。该设计在DDS信号产生部分运用外部时钟倍乘方式和防止时钟泄漏等措施,获得了更好的杂散与噪声特性;正交调制部分采用误差调整与补偿电路,不仅稳定了直流偏置,而且还对信号进行了调理,从而有效控制了I,Q通道的幅相不一致性。通过实测,该宽带线性调频信号源的无杂散动态范围(SFDR)优于100dB,杂散抑制小于-60dBc,且在带宽内最大幅度起伏为±0.5dB,相位起伏为5°,很好地满足了机载合成孔径雷达系统的要求。     

圆周合成孔径声呐技术综述

圆周合成孔径声呐(Circular Synthetic Aperture Sonar, CSAS)具有亚波长量级的二维分辨率、三维成像能力和全方位观测能力,在水下威胁目标查证、战场环境侦察等领域具有广阔的应用前景。文章分析了CSAS成像原理及分辨率,对国内外CSAS试验研究进展进行了综述,对CSAS成像算法、运动补偿、三维成像和后置处理等关键技术进行了分析,总结归纳了CSAS成像技术存在的问题,并对CSAS未来的发展进行了展望。     

远场合成孔径计算光学成像技术：文献综述与最新进展

传统光学成像实质上是目标场景的光强信号在空间维度上的直接均匀采样记录与再现的过程。因此,其成像分辨率与信息量不可避免地受到光学衍射极限、成像系统空间带宽积等若干物理条件制约。如何突破这些物理制约,获得更高分辨率、更宽广的图像信息,一直是该领域的永恒课题。计算光学成像通过前端光学调控与后端信号处理相结合,为突破成像系统的衍射极限限制,实现超分辨成像提供了新思路。本文综述了基于计算光学合成孔径成像实现成像分辨率的提升以及空间带宽积拓展的相关研究工作,主要包括基于相干主动合成孔径成像与非相干被动合成孔径成像的基础理论及关键技术。本文进一步揭示了当前“非相干、无源被动、超衍射极限”成像的迫切需求及其现阶段存在的瓶颈问题,并展望了今后的研究方向以及解决这些问题可能的技术途径。

     

Amplitude-based height-reconstruction techniques for synthetic aperture ladar systems

We examine the performance of amplitude-based height-estimation techniques for use with airborne synthetic aperture ladar (SAL) sensors in generating three-dimensional reconstructions of ground targets. Such techniques lend themselves to implementation more readily than phase-based techniques and are also more tolerant to phase instabilities that might be associated with SAL systems. For pairwise amplitude-comparison monopulse processing, we present analyses of the expected height sensitivity and bias of SAL systems in terms of the system parameters. We verify this analysis with simulations, and we also provide an overview of other SAL phenomena that affect height-estimation accuracy. We then propose an array-based joint-processing approach that can be applied instead of pairwise monopulse processing. We show that the joint-processing approach represents the maximum-likelihood estimator for obtaining the target height, and we demonstrate that the proposed approach significantly reduces bias-induced errors.     

基于相关性延迟分析的SAFT算法

针对超声经典合成孔径聚焦(SAFT)算法需对每点进行延迟聚焦、运算量大等问题,提出基于相关性延迟分析的合成孔径聚焦算法,并建立数学模型,采用Matlab分别对经典SAFT算法和基于相关性延迟分析的SAFT算法进行仿真分析。结果表明:基于相关性延迟分析的SAFT算法具有图像质量优、分辨率高、实时性好等特点。     

Numerical recipes for elastodynamic virtual element methods with explicit time integration

We present a general framework to solve elastodynamic problems by means of the virtual element method (VEM) with explicit time integration. In particular, the VEM is extended to analyze nearly incompressible solids using the B-bar method. We show that, to establish a B-bar formulation in the VEM setting, one simply needs to modify the stability term to stabilize only the deviatoric part of the stiffness matrix, which requires no additional computational effort. Convergence of the numerical solution is addressed in relation to stability, mass lumping scheme, element size, and distortion of arbitrary elements, either convex or nonconvex. For the estimation of the critical time step, two approaches are presented, ie, the maximum eigenvalue of a system of mass and stiffness matrices and an effective element length. Computational results demonstrate that small edges on convex polygonal elements do not significantly affect the critical time step, whereas convergence of the VEM solution is observed regardless of the stability term and the element shape in both two and three dimensions. This extensive investigation provides numerical recipes for elastodynamic VEMs with explicit time integration and related problems.