Laser & Optoelectronics Progress, Volume. 62, Issue 12, 1200001(2025)

Multimode Fiber Imaging Technology and Application Based on Light Field Modulation (Invited)

Chiming Zhang1,2, Ji Qi3, Zhong Wen1,2、***, Qing Yang1,2、*, and Xu Liu1,2、**
Author Affiliations
  • 1State Key Laboratory of Extreme Photonics and Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, International Research Center for Advanced Photonics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, Zhejiang , China
  • 2ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Hangzhou 311215, Zhejiang , China
  • 3Research Center for Frontier Fundamental Studies, Zhejiang Lab , Hangzhou 311121, Zhejiang , China
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    Figures & Tables(21)
    Schematic of light field modulation technology[21]. (a) Random speckle formed by plane waves passing through strongly scattering media; (b) regulating the incident light field to form a focal point for scattered light
    Lee holography method using binary amplitude grating for complex amplitude modulation. (a) Schematic of DMD and 4f system optical path; (b) phase determined by lateral position of stripes; (c) amplitude determined by duty ratio of stripes
    Schematic of superpixel method[24]. (a) Off-axis lenses formed by a 4f system; (b) filter aperture on the spectral plane; (c) 4×4 superpixel phase mask, with green indicating the three open pixels; (d) response of the target plane is the phase sum of the three pixels turned on in Fig. 3(c)
    Digital phase conjugation imaging technology in multimode fiber[4]
    Schematic of off-axis holography[26]. (a) Hologram recorded by the camera; (b) Fourier transform of the hologram; (c) amplitude and phase of the reconstructed speckle
    Steps for measuring the transmission matrix using the internal reference method[29]. (a) First group of pixels is modulated and second group is used as a reference; (b) first group of pixels is used as a reference and second group is modulated; (c) reference phase matching process
    Typical optical setup of multimode fiber imaging based on transmission matrix[12]
    Schematic of multimode fiber imaging device based on speckle scanning [46]
    Reconstructing input image from output speckle based on CNN network[50]
    Multimode fiber bending correction technology. (a) Schematic of generating virtual beacon on holographic plate[13]; (b) refocus the spot after calibrating the transmission matrix[14]; (c) graded-index fiber with better bending resistance[15]; (d) metasurface reflection structure[16]; (e) schematic of rotation memory effect of multimode fiber[17]
    Spatial-frequency domain encoding tracking adaptive beacon light-field-encoded method[12]
    Endoscopic imaging applications based on multimode fiber. (a) Fluorescently stained neuronal cell images obtained by using a multimode fiber endoscope[4]; (b) multimode fiber confocal imaging[57]; (c) imaged dendrites at different depths using digital zoom[59]; (d) continuously acquisition imaging of neuronal cell bodies, inhibitory neuronal processes, and visual cortex at a frame rate of 3.5 frame/s[7]; (e) 3D image reconstruction of multiple scenes at video rates[60]; (f) imaging of deep brain neurons and blood flow in mice using a side-view fiber probe[11]
    Application of STABLE technology[12]. (a) Schematic of endoscopic imaging in complex environment; (b) sheep small intestine images captured via MMF endoscopy
    MMF nonlinear imaging. (a) Fiber optic probe for two-photon fluorescence imaging[62]; (b) bright field and Raman imaging of bacterial samples[63]; (c) CARS imaging of polystyrene spheres[8]; (d) polarization second harmonic imaging of mouse tail tendons[64]
    MMF multimodal imaging technology. (a) Composite image of photoacoustic and fluorescence imaging of red blood cells (red) and fluorescent balls (green)[66]; (b) imaging of the colon using a white light and multimode fiber integrated endoscopic probe[12]; (c) reflection/fluorescence/phase multimodal imaging[68]
    Optical tweezers based on multimode fiber. (a) Two silica beads (diameter of 2 μm) are captured and moved in real time by a multimode fiber focusing point[39]; (b) nine particles are manipulated in three dimensions simultaneously by multimode fiber optical tweezers[70]
    Application of multimode optical fiber in optical computing. (a) Schematic diagram of a programmable linear optical network based on multimode optical fiber[71]; (b) illustration of the neuromorphic computing architectures and the experimental setup based on multimode fiber[72]; (c) optical logic operations through multimode fiber[73]; (d) training process of the DN2s for MMF speckle pattern reconstruction[74]
    • Table 1. Comparison of spatial light modulators

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      Table 1. Comparison of spatial light modulators

      DeviceModulation typeModulation rateDiffraction efficiencyFocus power ratio
      LC-SLMPhase/amplitudeSeveral hundred Hz90%Lower
      DMDPhase/amplitudeAbove 20 kHzSeveral percentHigher
    • Table 2. Comparison of multimode fiber imaging methods

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      Table 2. Comparison of multimode fiber imaging methods

      Imaging methodResolutionSystem complexityFoundationLimitation
      Digital optical phase conjugatingSub-micronHighBased on time reversalRequires precise optical alignment, susceptible to external disturbances
      Transmission matrixClose to the diffraction limitHighAssumption of linear translation invarianceComplex calibration, high computational cost
      Compressive sensingSuper-resolutionModerateSparse signal reconstructionPerformance limited by speckle orthogonality and algorithm convergence
      Deep learningDependent on trainingLowData-drivenRequires large high-quality datasets; limited generalizability
    • Table 3. Comparison of multimode fiber bending correction technologies

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      Table 3. Comparison of multimode fiber bending correction technologies

      ReferenceFiber length /mCorrection time /sRequirement of fiber distal facet engineeringImaging application of real samples
      131YesNo
      14YesNo
      162Several seconds to several minutesYesNo
      170.3YesResolution test targets
      191.5NoNo
      200.80.0001‒0.0004NoNo
      12Up to 2000.001NoTest targets, pathological samples, nanomaterials and living mice
    • Table 4. Representative applications of multimode fiber imaging technology

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      Table 4. Representative applications of multimode fiber imaging technology

      ApplicationResearchersModulatorImaging methodResearch contentYear
      Microscopic/endoscopic imagingLoterie et al.57SLMTransmission matrixDigital confocal imaging of a human epithelial cell2015
      Microscopic/endoscopic imagingOhayonet al.58DMDTransmission matrixCapture rapid neuronal dynamics in-vivo in rodents expressing a genetically encoded calcium indicator (GCaMP)2018
      Microscopic/endoscopic imagingVasquez-Lopez et al.59SLMTransmission matrixHigh-resolution fluorescence imaging of subcellular neuronal structures, dendrites and synaptic specializations, in deep-brain regions of living mice2018
      Microscopic/endoscopic imagingLeite et al.9DMDTransmission matrix“Far-field” endoscope capable of imaging macroscopic objects across a large depth of field2021
      Microscopic/endoscopic imagingStellingaet al.60DMDTransmission matrix3D imaging combining time-of-flight2021
      Microscopic/endoscopic imagingStibůreket al.11DMDTransmission matrixIn-vivo volumetric imaging throughout the whole depth of the mouse brain using side-view fiber probe2023
      Microscopic/endoscopic imagingWen et al.12DMDTransmission matrixAchieved stable imaging under fiber bending and achieve a subdiffraction resolution combined with full-vector modulation and fluorescence emission difference2023
      Nonlinear imagingMorales-Delgado et al.62SLMDigital phase conjugationHigh-resolution three-dimensional imaging using two-photon fluorescence2015
      Nonlinear imagingGusachenkoet al.63SLMTransmission matrixAcquired Raman images, including for bacteria samples2017
      Nonlinear imagingTrägårdhet al.8SLMTransmission matrixLabel-free non-linear microscopy with chemical contrast using coherent anti-stokes Raman scattering (CARS)2019
      Nonlinear imagingCifuenteset al.64SLMTransmission matrixPolarization-resolved second-harmonic generation(SHG) imaging2021
      Multimodal imagingCaravaca-Aguirre et al.65DMDCompress sensingPhotoacoustic/fluorescence microscopic endoscopic imaging2013
      Multimodal imagingWen et al.12DMDTransmission matrixDesigned a white light endoscope/multimode fiber integrated endoscopic system2023
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    Chiming Zhang, Ji Qi, Zhong Wen, Qing Yang, Xu Liu. Multimode Fiber Imaging Technology and Application Based on Light Field Modulation (Invited)[J]. Laser & Optoelectronics Progress, 2025, 62(12): 1200001

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    Paper Information

    Category: Reviews

    Received: Jan. 13, 2025

    Accepted: Mar. 14, 2025

    Published Online: Jun. 17, 2025

    The Author Email: Zhong Wen (21730014@zju.edu.cn), Qing Yang (qingyang@zju.edu.cn), Xu Liu (liuxu@zju.edu.cn)

    DOI:10.3788/LOP250501

    CSTR:32186.14.LOP250501

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