Super-Resolution Remote Imaging using Time Encoded Remote Apertures
This addresses resolution loss in remote imaging for applications like surveillance or astronomy, presenting a novel approach rather than an incremental improvement.
The paper tackles the diffraction limit in remote imaging by reconstructing sparse scenes from the temporal profile of wave-fronts using only one spatial pixel, achieving wavelength-scale resolution independent of distance.
Imaging of scenes using light or other wave phenomena is subject to the diffraction limit. The spatial profile of a wave propagating between a scene and the imaging system is distorted by diffraction resulting in a loss of resolution that is proportional with traveled distance. We show here that it is possible to reconstruct sparse scenes from the temporal profile of the wave-front using only one spatial pixel or a spatial average. The temporal profile of the wave is not affected by diffraction yielding an imaging method that can in theory achieve wavelength scale resolution independent of distance from the scene.