Spectral ghost imaging camera with super-Rayleigh modulator

Abstract: A spectral camera based on ghost imaging via sparsity constraints (GISC) acquires a spectral data-cube (x; y; {\lambda}) through a single exposure. The noise immunity of the system is one of the important factors affecting the quality of the reconstructed images, especially at low sampling rates. Tailoring the intensity to generate super-Rayleigh speckle patterns which have superior noise immunity may offer an effective route to promote the imaging quality of GISC spectral camera. According to the structure of GISC spectral camera, we proposed a universal method for generating super-Rayleigh speckle patterns with customized intensity statistics based on the principle of reversibility of light. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate that, within a wide imaging spectral bandwidth, GISC spectral camera with super-Rayleigh modulator not only has superior noise immunity, but also has higher imaging quality at low sampling rates. This work will promote the application of GISC spectral camera by improving the quality of imaging results, especially in weak-light illumination.