Single-Shot Receive-Only Ultrafast Electro-Optical Deflection Imaging
Chengshuai Yang, Dalong Qi, Fengyan Cao, Yilin He, Jiali Yao, Pengpeng Ding, Xiaoping Ouyang, Yanzhong Yu, Tianqing Jia, Shixiang Xu, Zhenrong Sun, Shian Zhang
Abstract
Imaging ultrafast dynamic events is a long-standing scientific goal. It is difficult for conventional electronic imaging sensors based on charge-coupled devices (CCDs) or complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS) to capture dynamic processes occurring on the nanosecond or even shorter timescales due to the limitations of on-chip storage and electronic read-out speed. Here, we develop a dynamic imaging technique with a very simple compact configuration, called ultrafast electro-optical deflection imaging (UEODI), which has a temporal resolution of up to 20 ps or an imaging speed of $5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{10}$ frames per second (fps), and therefore, it enables the observation of nanosecond and even picosecond dynamic events. UEODI operates in a single-shot receive-only mode, and thus, it is highly beneficial for imaging nonrepetitive (or irreversible) dynamic events and a variety of luminescent objects. Moreover, when combined with the time-of-flight (TOF) method, UEODI can detect three-dimensional (3D) objects. Using UEODI, we visualize a molecular photoluminescent process and measure a 3D ladder structure. Considering the capabilities of UEODI, it will have very importation application prospects in both basic research and applied science, including biomedical imaging.