Real-time THz ptychography using an optically modulated aperture

Abstract

Ptychography allows ordinary cameras to perform both quantitative phase and intensity imaging. However, the requirement for relative object to probe motion and high measurement count significantly limits imaging speed and application scope. In this work, we introduce optically modulated aperture ptychography, using a silicon photomodulator as a rapidly reconfigurable aperture, deployable across the microwave, millimeter wave and terahertz bands. We demonstrate experimentally at ~ 0.1 THz real-time ptychographic image capture, without moving parts. Furthermore, a reconfigurable aperture facilitates diverse and spatially multiplexed probes. We use a multiplexed known-probe reconstruction strategy that improves signal-to-noise ratio and increases the information content per measurement, enabling the capture of fluid dynamics at 16 fps. Our optical modulation approach enables high-throughput ptychographic imaging of dynamic samples, for applications such as non-destructive evaluation and in-vivo biomedical imaging.