Abstract
Imaging objects hidden in random scattering mediáis an interesting and challenging problem in optics. An intuitive approach to this problem is using ultrashort pulse lasers. As an optical pulse passes through the scattering medium, it is stretched longer due to multiple scattering. The very front of the stretched pulse, which suffers least scattering, contains the image of objects hidden in tire medium. Optical correlation techniques can be used to gate out the image in the pulse front.1-5 In nonlinear techniques, such as Kerr shutter and harmonic generation, large peak power is required; hence ultrashort Laser pulses are necessary. Whereas in linear techniques such as interferometry and holography, it is not the short pulse but the narrow correlation function produced by the light source that is essential to the techniques. From Wiener-Khintchine theorem, the width of the field correlation function depends solely on the bandwidth of the light source. Therefore, a broadband cw (temporally incoherent) source is as good as ultrashort pulse lasers for these techniques. Furthermore, broadband cw sources such as superluminescent diode lasers are much less expensive and much easier to operate than ultrashort pulse lasers.
© 1993 Optical Society of America
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