Objects Reconstruction By Compressive Sensing from Single-pixel Registrations Using DMD

Imaging a volumetric sample in real time is required to directly observe biological anatomy and mechanisms. There are a variety of microscopic imaging systems, developed to achieve optical sectioning, such as confocal microscopy. However, the drawbacks of existing systems are long scanning time or strong laser power. To overcome such problems and to obtain high-speed optical sectioning images, we demonstrate HiLo structured illumination microscopy by the use of digital micro-mirror device (DMD) and the focal tunable lens (FTL). The proposed system is configured such that hybrid uniform and non-uniform pattern are projected onto DMD to reconstruct optical sectioning images. In addition, FTL is utilized to digitally change observation plane with constant magnification and resolution; thus, mechanical movement is eliminated. Furthermore, in vivo three-dimensional (3D) images of biological samples, including a live Canenorhabditis elegans, are experimentally demonstrated.

Single-pixel imaging commonly uses a spatial light modulator (SLM) to encode a scene's spatial information into a one-dimensional light signal sequence so that a single-pixel detector can be used to capture a scene. Digital micromirror device, liquid crystal on silicon, or light emitted diode matrix is a common choice of SLM, but it requires a certain lens system in order to project the structured light pattern that is generated by the SLM onto the scene. Using a lens would not only lead to aberration but also result in difficulty for establishing a compact imaging system. Therefore, we propose to use a liquid crystal display (LCD) as an intensity-only SLM to conduct structured illumination. As such, single-pixel imaging can be performed in a lensless way. As an instance of the proposed technique, a small-size and multi-functional scanner is designed and established to prove the lensless single-pixel imaging concept. As experimentally demonstrated, the single-pixel scanner can not only achieve grayscale and true-color scanning as a typical scanner does, but also achieve distinctive functionalities, such as accurate optical character recognition from under-sampled data, on-the-fly encryption, and genuine document identification. This compact scanner is as thin as 2.48 millimeters. The proposed lensless single-pixel imaging technique might find applications in various fields.

There are many different modes of microscopy, and all of these modes deliver light in a controlled fashion to the object to be examined and collect as much of the light containing the desired information about the object as possible. The system being presented replaces the simple irises of a conventional microscope with digital micromirror devices (DMDs, made by Texas Instruments) to produce a digital microscope. The DMDs are placed in the optical path at positions corresponding to the field and aperture diaphragms of a conventional microscope. This allows for more precise and flexible control over the spatial location, amount, and angles of the illumination light, and the light to be collected. This digital microscope will improve existing modes of microscopy, specifically in quantitative microscopy. Using the intensity modulation feature of the DMDs, the system can correct for inhomogeneous illumination sources to achieve uniform distributions. In various configurations, one can perform brightfield, darkfield, confocal and fluorescence microscopy. In addition, new microscopy modes will be possible, such as reconstruction microscopy. Utilizing the fast switching times of the mirrors (under 20 microseconds), one can switch between modes efficiently.

Digital micromirror devices (DMDs) are micro-electro- mechanical systems, originally developed to display images in projector systems. A DMD in the focal plane of an imaging system can be used as a reprogrammable slit mask of a multi-object spectrometer (MOS) by tilting some of the mirrors towards the spectrometer and tilting the rest of the mirrors away, thereby rejecting the unwanted light (due to the background and foreground objects). A DMD-based MOS can generate new, arbitrary slit patterns in seconds, which significantly reduces the overhead time during astronomical observations. Critically, DMD-based slit masks are extremely lightweight, compact and mechanically robust, which makes them attractive for use in space-based telescopes. As part of a larger effort to investigate the use of DMDs in space telescopes (sponsored by a NASA Strategic Astrophysics Technologies grant), we characterized the optical performance of Texas Instruments DMDs to determine their suitability for use in multi-object spectrometers. The performance of a DMD-based MOS is significantly affected by its optical throughput (reflectance), contrast ratio (the ability of the DMD to reject unwanted light) and scattering properties (which could lead to crosstalk and reduced signal-to-noise ratio in the spectrometer). We measured and quantified the throughput and contrast ratio of a Texas Instruments DMD in several configurations (which emulate the operation of a typical DMD-based MOS) and investigated the scattering properties of the individual DMD mirrors. In this work we present the results of our analysis, describe the performance of a typical DMD- based MOS and discuss the practical limitations of these instruments (such as maximum density of sources and expected signal-to- noise ratio).

The digital micromirror device DMD is widely used in visible light projection, special-purpose spatial light modulation, and infrared scene simulation, due to its high resolution, uniformity and energy concentration. In some applications that require high frame rate scene image display, it is necessary to ensure that the DMD displays high gray level images at a high frame rate. However, the display frame rate of the pulse width modulation (PWM) method is limited by the minimum time required for DMD loading data, unable to achieve high frame rate display. Although the DMD binary display mode can meet the requirements of high frame rate display, it cannot meet the requirements of high gray level. The paper proposes an image display method that uses light source and DMD to synchronize modulation. Decompose the high-order gray image into bit planes according to the gray threshold, and the DMD displays each bit plane in binary mode under the trigger of an sync pulse. The intensity of the illumination laser source is modulated by an acousto-optic modulator to match the bit plane and the radiated laser power. This method makes use of the function of high frame rate display in DMD binary mode cooperate with light intensity modulation of illumination laser source, and realizes high frame rate and high dynamic range image display. With this method, the maximum frame rate of 8-bit gray level image with 1920 ×1080 resolution can reach 2KHz. The experimental system has realized 200Hz frame rate display of 8-bit gray level image with 1920 ×1080 resolution.

Digital micromirror devices (DMDs) are commercial micro-electromechanical systems, consisting of millions of mirrors which can be individually addressed and tilted into one of two states (+/-12deg). These devices were developed to create binary patterns in video projectors, in the visible range. Commercially available DMDs are hermetically sealed and extremely reliable. Recently, DMDs have been identified as an alternative to microshutter arrays for space-based multi-object spectrometers (MOS). Specifically, the MOS at the heart of the proposed Galactic Evolution Spectroscopic Explorer (GESE) uses the DMD as a reprogrammable slit mask. Unfortunately, the protective borosilicate windows limit the use of DMDs in the UV and IR regimes, where the glass has insufficient throughput. In this work, we present our efforts to replace standard DMD windows with custom windows made from UV-grade fused silica, low-absorption optical sapphire (LAOS) and magnesium fluoride (MgF2). We present transmission measurements of the antireflection coated windows and the reflectance of bare (window removed) DMDs. Furthermore, we investigated the long-term stability of the DMD reflectance and experiments for coating DMD active area with a layer of pure aluminum (Al) to boost reflectance performance in the UV spectral range (200400 nm).

We present a spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) system based on single-pixel imaging (SPI) techniques with a single digital micromirror device (DMD) modulating simultaneously the sinusoidal pattern and the spatial sampling masks.

Phase-shifting method effectively attains high resolution and high accuracy in analyzing phase information on a projected grating. It is difficult to apply dynamically, however, because it usually requires several images. We developed a camera based on digital micromirror device (DMD) technology for high-speed phase analysis and shape measurement, called a DMD reflection-type CCD camera or DMD camera. Implementing DMD technology enables accurate control of intensity reaching the imaging detector of a camera. Moiré is used to adjust pixel-to-pixel correspondence highly accuracy. We introduce a controllable high-speed DMD operation board to control DMD mirrors at high-speed, so each DMD mirror operates as a controllable high-speed shutter for the corresponding CCD pixel. In experiments with an application, we conducted DMD integrated phase-shifting method using correlation to analyze phase distributions of projected gratings from images recorded by the DMD camera. We then discuss principles and experimental results under dynamic conditions. This paper is a revised version of one presented at the SPIE International Symposium on Optomechatronic Technologies (ISOT 2005), December 4-7, 2005 at the Sapporo Convention Center, Japan. That paper appears in SPIE Proceedings Vol.6049, 60490I.

We present a 3D electromagnetic simulation of a digital micromirror device (DMD) from 0.4 µm to 5 µm, which accurately models DMD reflectance and contrast ratio, including the effects of diffraction. A DMD is a spatial light modulator with a wide range of applications, including projection displays, 3D printing, and imaging spectroscopy. The physical structure of the DMD induces strong wavelength-dependent diffraction effects that impact the stray light, optical throughput, and pupil illumination distribution of a system. To quantify this, we perform a 3-dimensional electromagnetic finite-difference time-domain simulation, illuminating the DMD with a focused, incoherent beam, explicitly calculating the near-field electric fields, and calculating the far-field distribution of light. The far-field data determines diffraction efficiency and the distribution of light across the pupil. With these models, we are able to study the DMD’s optical efficiency in three key regimes: the specular regime, where the DMD behaves like a segmented mirror with a diffractive component (λ < 1 µm); the diffraction-dominated regime, which is also described by analytic diffraction grating theory (3 µm < λ < 5 µm); and, uniquely, the transition region, where the specular reflection and diffraction contributions are comparable (1 µm < λ < 3 µm). Our results inform system performance parameters, provide optical design constraints, and create a framework of use cases for DMDs.

Single-pixel imaging (SPI) is a new type of imaging technology that uses a non-scanning single-pixel detector to image objects and has important application prospects and value in many fields. Most of the modulators currently used in SPI systems are digital micromirror device (DMD) modulators, which use a higher frequency for binary modulation than other alternatives. When modulating grayscale information, the modulation frequency is significantly reduced. This paper conducts research on multiple discrete objects in a scene and proposes using binary patterns to locate and image these objects. Compared with the existing methods of using gray patterns to locate and image multiple objects, the method proposed in this paper is more suitable for DMD-type SPI systems and has wider applicability and greater prospects. The principle of the proposed method is introduced, and the effectiveness of the method is experimentally verified. The experimental results show that, compared to traditional SPI methods, the number of patterns required by the proposed method is reduced by more than 85%.

The digital micromirror device (DMD) which is one kind of Micro-Electro-Mechanical System has been widely adapted for use in lighting projection systems, and some new imaging systems such as high-dynamic range imaging, aperture-coded spectral imaging, or medical imaging. The micromirrors on the DMD surface are non-continuous distribution and capable of tilt relative to individual rotation axis, which is different from the plane mirror. Therefore, when the DMD is applied in a convergence imaging path, there is an optical path difference (OPD) between the off-axis chief ray and the on-axis chief ray, and moreover severe non-symmetric imaging on the focal plane. Based on the geometrical optics and aberration theory, this paper proposes a calculation formula that gives the OPD as a function of the image height, the incident angle, the DMD pixel size and the DMD tilt angle in the convergent imaging path. This formula can give the OPD of the system when the optical axis is vertical to the surface of the DMD in an ideal state, which has great significance to the design and adjustment of optical path using DMD devices.

In contrast to imaging using position-resolving cameras, single-pixel imaging uses a bucket detector along with spatially structured illumination to compressively recover images. This emerging imaging technique is a promising candidate for a broad range of applications due to the high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and sensitivity, and applicability in a wide range of frequency bands. Here, inspired by single-pixel imaging in the spatial domain, we demonstrate a time-domain single-pixel imaging (TSPI) system that covers frequency bands including both terahertz (THz) and near-infrared (NIR) regions. By implementing a programmable temporal fan-out gate based on a digital micromirror device, we can deterministically prepare temporally structured pulses with a temporal sampling size down to 16.00 ± 0.01 f s . By inheriting the advantages of detection efficiency and sensitivity from spatial single-pixel imaging, TSPI enables the recovery of a 5 fJ THz pulse and two NIR pulses with over 97 % fidelity via compressive sensing. We demonstrate that the TSPI is robust against temporal distortions in the probe pulse train as well. As a direct application, we apply TSPI to machine-learning-aided THz spectroscopy and demonstrate a high sample identification accuracy (97.5%) even under low SNRs (SNR ∼ 10 ).

The dynamic spatial control of light fields is essential to a range of applications, from microscopy to optical micro-manipulation and communications. Here we describe the use of a single digital micro-mirror device (DMD) to generate and rapidly switch vector beams with spatially controllable intensity, phase and polarisation. We demonstrate local spatial control over linear, elliptical and circular polarisation, allowing the generation of radially and azimuthally polarised beams and Poincaré beams. All of these can be switched at rates of up to 4kHz (limited only by our DMD model), a rate ∼2 orders of magnitude faster than the switching speeds of typical phase-only spatial light modulators. The polarisation state of the generated beams is characterised with spatially resolved Stokes measurements. We also describe detail of technical considerations when using a DMD, and quantify the mode capacity and efficiency of the beam generation. The high-speed switching capabilities of this method will be particularly useful for the control of light propagation through complex media such as multimode fibers, where rapid spatial modulation of intensity, phase and polarisation is required.

Digital Micro-mirror Device (DMD) is an important tool in holographic display owning high-speed refresh rate and good diffraction efficiency. However, the reconstruction light source has great impact to image quality. A new holographic display system based on DMD for using light-emitting diodes (LEDs), is proposed in this paper. LEDs are chosen as light source to replace the laser, since it can reduce the speckle noise effectively, which is caused by both temporal and spatial coherence of laser. In order to solve the problem using LED as DMD holographic display light source, the characteristics of DMD as the display device for holographic displays are studied. An aspheric collimator for LED is used to improve the optical efficiency. A spatial filter is used to improve the coherence. The experimental results show that this lighting system has a good display quality.

A hyperspectral mid-infrared (MIR) microscope utilizing single-pixel imaging (SPI) technology is demonstrated. The system integrates a tunable (8.3 µm - 11.1 µm) MIR quantum cascade laser (QCL) and a modified micro-opto-electro-mechanical digital micromirror device (DMD) for spatial light modulation. As a part of the system's design, diffraction on the DMD chip is experimentally analyzed. Based on this analysis, the first diffraction order was selected for an optimal optical configuration thus providing high modulation contrast, which is critical for SPI. The spatial resolution of the developed microscope was evaluated using a reflective resolution test target, which verified resolution well beyond 24.8 µm at 10.1 µm wavelength. Obtained spectra, which are limited in bandwidth (9.80 µm - 10.42 µm) due to aperture constraints, are validated by characterizing a 8 µm-thick polypropylene (PP) foil and identifying PP in a polymer multilayer microtome section. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were used for reference. The microscope showcases SPI's potential for efficient chemical analysis, offering rapid hyperspectral IR imaging.