Hyperspectral imaging method and apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11965827-B2
Application number	US-202217936161-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2022
Priority date	Sep 29, 2021
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

A hyperspectral imaging method includes: providing time-domain synchronous mid-infrared ultrashort pulse and near-infrared ultrashort pulse as pump light and signal light, respectively; subjecting the signal light to optical time-stretching to broaden a pulse width of the signal light; directing the time-stretched signal light to a target sample to be detected; directing the pump light to a time delayer to adjust the time when the pump light reaches a silicon-based camera; spatially combining the time-stretched signal light from the target sample with the pump light from the time delayer; directing combined light to a silicon-based camera where the signal light is detected through non-degenerate two-photon absorption of the signal light under the action of the pump light to acquire hyperspectral imaging data; and obtaining an image of the target sample based on the hyperspectral imaging data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hyperspectral imaging method, comprising:
providing a mid-infrared ultrashort pulse as pump light and a near-infrared ultrashort pulse as signal light, the mid-infrared ultrashort pulse and the near-infrared ultrashort pulse being synchronous precisely in time domain;
subjecting the signal light to optical time-stretching to broaden a pulse width of the signal light and separate light components of different wavelengths in the signal light in the time domain;
directing the time-stretched signal light to a target sample to be detected;
directing the pump light to a time delayer to adjust the time when the pump light reaches a silicon-based camera;
spatially combining the time-stretched signal light from the target sample with the pump light from the time delayer;
directing the combined light to a silicon-based camera where the signal light is detected through non-degenerate two-photon absorption of the signal light under the action of the pump light to acquire hyperspectral imaging data; and
obtaining an image of the target sample based on the hyperspectral imaging data.

2. The hyperspectral imaging method according to claim 1 , wherein subjecting the signal light to optical time-stretching comprises:
passing the signal light through a dispersive medium to separate light components of different wavelengths in the signal light in the time domain.

3. The hyperspectral imaging method according to claim 2 , wherein the dispersive medium is selected from a single-mode dispersive fiber, a multi-mode fiber, and a chirped fiber Bragg grating.

4. The hyperspectral imaging method according to claim 1 , wherein the pump light and the signal light are provided by a laser through nonlinear spontaneous parametric down-conversion.

5. The hyperspectral imaging method according to claim 4 , wherein the laser is a high-power femtosecond laser.

6. The hyperspectral imaging method according to claim 1 , wherein providing the mid-infrared ultrashort pulse as the pump light and the near-infrared ultrashort pulse as the signal light comprises:
separating a laser beam generated by a laser to the mid-infrared ultrashort pulse and the near-infrared ultrashort pulse through a chirped periodically poled lithium niobate crystal;
collimating the mid-infrared ultrashort pulse and the near-infrared ultrashort pulse by a collimator, and
spatially separating the mid-infrared ultrashort pulse and the near-infrared ultrashort pulse by a dichroscope to provide the pump light and the signal light.

7. The hyperspectral imaging method according to claim 6 , wherein the collimator is a CaF 2 convex lens.

8. The hyperspectral imaging method according to claim 1 , wherein a photon energy corresponding to the signal light is lower than a band gap energy of a silicon material, a photon energy corresponding to the pump light is lower than a half of the band gap energy of the silicon material, and a sum of the photon energy corresponding to the signal light and the photon energy corresponding to the pump light is greater than the band gap energy.

9. The hyperspectral imaging method according to claim 1 , wherein the silicon-based camera is a silicon-based charge-coupled device.

10. The hyperspectral imaging method according to claim 9 , wherein the silicon-based charge-coupled device is an electron multiplying charge-coupled device or an intensified charge-coupled device.

11. A hyperspectral imaging apparatus, comprising:
a light source assembly, configured to provide a mid-infrared ultrashort pulse as pump light and a near-infrared ultrashort pulse as signal light, the mid-infrared ultrashort pulse and the near-infrared ultrashort pulse being synchronous precisely in time domain;
a time-stretching component, configured to subject the signal light to optical time-stretching to broaden a pulse width of the signal light and separate light components of different wavelengths in the signal light in the time domain;
a light absorption component, comprising a target sample, and configured to receive the time-stretched signal light and absorb a light component with a certain wavelength of the time-stretched signal light by the target sample;
a time delayer, configured to receive the pump light and adjust the time when the pump light reaches a silicon-based camera;
a first dichroscope, configured to spatially combine the signal light from the light absorption component and the pump light from the time delayer in such a way that a light spot formed by the pump light wraps a light spot formed by the signal light;
a silicon-based camera, configured to receive the combined light, detect the signal light through non-degenerate two-photon absorption of the signal light thereon under the action of the pump light, and acquire hyperspectral imaging data; and
a controlling and acquiring component, connected with the time delayer and the silicon-based camera, and configured to control the time delayer to adjust the time when the pump light reaches the silicon-based camera, receive the hyperspectral imaging data from the silicon-based camera, and acquiring an image of the target sample.

12. The hyperspectral imaging apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the light source assembly comprises:
a high-power femtosecond laser, configured to generate a laser beam;
a chirped periodically poled lithium niobate crystal, configured to separate the laser beam into the mid-infrared ultrashort pulse and the near-infrared ultrashort pulse;
a collimator, configured to collimate the mid-infrared ultrashort pulse and the near-infrared ultrashort pulse; and
a second dichroscope, configured to spatially separating the mid-infrared ultrashort pulse from the near-infrared ultrashort pulse to provide the pump light and the signal light, respectively.

13. The hyperspectral imaging apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the collimator is a CaF 2 convex lens.

14. The hyperspectral imaging apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the time-stretching component comprises a dispersive medium, and the dispersive medium is configured to separate light components of different wavelengths in the signal light in the time domain.

15. The hyperspectral imaging apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the dispersive medium is selected from a single-mode dispersive fiber, a multi-mode fiber, and a chirped fiber Bragg grating.

16. The hyperspectral imaging apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the silicon-based camera is a silicon-based charge-coupled device.

17. The hyperspectral imaging apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the silicon-based charge-coupled device is an electron multiplying charge-coupled device or an intensified charge-coupled device.

18. The hyperspectral imaging apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a first plano-convex lens and a second plano-convex lens arranged in a light path between the target sample and the silicon-based camera,
wherein the target sample, the first plano-convex lens, the second plano-convex lens and the silicon-based camera constitute a 4f system, which is configured to transmit contour information and spectral information of the target sample to an image plane where the silicon-based camera is located; and
the first plano-convex lens and the second plano-convex lens are configured to zoom an imaging spot by adjusting a ratio of a focal length of the first plano-convex lens to that of the second plano-convex lens.

19. A hyperspectral imaging device, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory for storing instructions

Assignees

• Chongqing Institute Of East China Normal Univ
• Univ East China Normal
• Yunnan Huapu Quantum Mat Co Ltd
• Roi Optoelectronics Tech Co Ltd
• Chongqing Huapu New Energy Co Ltd
• Chongqing Huapu Information Tech Co Ltd
• Nanjing Roi Optoelectronics Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zeng Heping
• Fang Jianan
• Huang Kun
• Hu Mengyun

Classifications

• G01N21/35 Primary

  using infrared light (G01N21/39 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N2201/06113

  Coherent sources; lasers · CPC title

• G01N2201/0633

  Directed, collimated illumination · CPC title

• G01N21/63 Primary

  optically excited · CPC title

• G01N21/3563

  for analysing solids; Preparation of samples therefor · CPC title