The objective of this program is to overcome the current limitations in ultrahigh-frame-rate optical imaging through the development of a photonic imaging architecture that incorporates the benefits of compressive sensing.
Intellectual Merit: The intellectual merit is that current record-high frame-rate optical imaging architectures are severely burdened by the need to transfer and record massive amounts of information. This program will make transformative advancements to the state-of-the-art approach through the use of a photonic imaging architecture designed specifically for compressive sensing; building data compression directly into the measurement process. Thereby, this new architecture will enable high-speed image acquisition with a greatly reduced information capacity requirement as well as increased signal strength and will form a new generation of ultrahigh-frame-rate imaging systems for use in all areas of science and technology.
Broader Impact: The broader impacts are that recent research into high-speed imaging suggests that the incorporation of ultrahigh-frame-rate imaging into flow cytometry will greatly increase the information extracted from the measurements. This is critical to applications such as identifying the presence of extremely rare disease-predicting cells within a largely healthy population. Such an application can have a broad impact on society through improved medical diagnostics and will be a focus of this research program. Additionally, the program will benefit the educational objectives of the PI through the development of hands-on laboratory activities for high school and undergraduate students, a new introductory undergraduate photonics course, and seminars and poster sessions for undergraduate and graduate students to gain experience disseminating their research.
