Wide-field mid-infrared hyperspectral imaging beyond video rate

Wide-field mid-infrared hyperspectral imaging beyond video rate

28 February 2024 | Jianan Fang, Kun Huang, Ruiyang Qin, Yan Liang, E Wu, Ming Yan & Heping Zeng
This article presents a high-speed, wide-field mid-infrared (MIR) hyperspectral imaging system that enables real-time spectral imaging with high spatial resolution across broad spectral bands. The system utilizes broadband parametric upconversion of high-brightness supercontinuum illumination at the Fourier plane, followed by rapid spectral filtering using an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF). This approach allows for the acquisition of 100 spectral bands over 2600-4085 cm⁻¹ in 10 ms, corresponding to a refreshing rate of 100 Hz. The system's high acquisition rate, wide-field operation, and broadband spectral coverage open new possibilities for high-throughput characterization of transient processes in material and life sciences. Hyperspectral imaging is a non-invasive analytical technique that allows for the simultaneous acquisition of spatial and spectral information. MIR hyperspectral imaging has gained attention due to the richness of material and molecular signatures in this spectral range. Vibrational imaging methods provide a complementary and more sensitive tool compared to Raman spectroscopy because infrared absorption offers a much larger cross-section than Raman scattering. MIR spectral imaging technologies have been widely used in chemical, medical, and bio-related fields, such as non-destructive material detection, stand-off gas analysis, and label-free biomedical diagnosis. Despite its potential, MIR hyperspectral imaging has long been plagued by the time-consuming acquisition of three-dimensional spectral data cubes. The available speed for existing hyperspectral imaging instruments is prohibitively slow for rapid analysis or in situ observations of transient processes. To address this, an alternative approach based on quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) has emerged to implement MIR spectral imaging at an improved speed due to the agile spectral tuning capability for the light source. However, the frame rate is limited by the acquisition time due to the low conversion efficiency in the continuous-wave pumping scheme. The proposed system uses a chirped-poling lithium niobate (CPLN) nonlinear crystal to perform the sum-frequency generation (SFG) process, which allows for a wide-field and broadband frequency upconversion. The resulting wide-field operation is critical to implement a fast snapshot acquisition, which contrasts with previous scanning-assisted modalities. The system's high-speed performance is demonstrated by the ability to capture 100 spectral channels in 10 ms, corresponding to a refreshing rate of 100 Hz. The system's ability to capture high-definition monochromatic images at a frame rate of 10 kHz based on a megapixel silicon camera enables real-time spectral imaging beyond video rate. The system's performance is characterized by using a USAF-1951 resolution target, which shows radial blurring due to wavelength-dependent spatial scaling factors. The AOTF is used to quickly extract a monochromatic image at an arbitrary wavelength, eliminating the need for any moving parts or data post-processing. The system's ability to capture high-definition monThis article presents a high-speed, wide-field mid-infrared (MIR) hyperspectral imaging system that enables real-time spectral imaging with high spatial resolution across broad spectral bands. The system utilizes broadband parametric upconversion of high-brightness supercontinuum illumination at the Fourier plane, followed by rapid spectral filtering using an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF). This approach allows for the acquisition of 100 spectral bands over 2600-4085 cm⁻¹ in 10 ms, corresponding to a refreshing rate of 100 Hz. The system's high acquisition rate, wide-field operation, and broadband spectral coverage open new possibilities for high-throughput characterization of transient processes in material and life sciences. Hyperspectral imaging is a non-invasive analytical technique that allows for the simultaneous acquisition of spatial and spectral information. MIR hyperspectral imaging has gained attention due to the richness of material and molecular signatures in this spectral range. Vibrational imaging methods provide a complementary and more sensitive tool compared to Raman spectroscopy because infrared absorption offers a much larger cross-section than Raman scattering. MIR spectral imaging technologies have been widely used in chemical, medical, and bio-related fields, such as non-destructive material detection, stand-off gas analysis, and label-free biomedical diagnosis. Despite its potential, MIR hyperspectral imaging has long been plagued by the time-consuming acquisition of three-dimensional spectral data cubes. The available speed for existing hyperspectral imaging instruments is prohibitively slow for rapid analysis or in situ observations of transient processes. To address this, an alternative approach based on quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) has emerged to implement MIR spectral imaging at an improved speed due to the agile spectral tuning capability for the light source. However, the frame rate is limited by the acquisition time due to the low conversion efficiency in the continuous-wave pumping scheme. The proposed system uses a chirped-poling lithium niobate (CPLN) nonlinear crystal to perform the sum-frequency generation (SFG) process, which allows for a wide-field and broadband frequency upconversion. The resulting wide-field operation is critical to implement a fast snapshot acquisition, which contrasts with previous scanning-assisted modalities. The system's high-speed performance is demonstrated by the ability to capture 100 spectral channels in 10 ms, corresponding to a refreshing rate of 100 Hz. The system's ability to capture high-definition monochromatic images at a frame rate of 10 kHz based on a megapixel silicon camera enables real-time spectral imaging beyond video rate. The system's performance is characterized by using a USAF-1951 resolution target, which shows radial blurring due to wavelength-dependent spatial scaling factors. The AOTF is used to quickly extract a monochromatic image at an arbitrary wavelength, eliminating the need for any moving parts or data post-processing. The system's ability to capture high-definition mon
Reach us at info@study.space