Single-Point Detection Architecture via Liquid Crystal Modulation for Hyperspectral Imaging Systems

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) architectures can acquire one-dimension of spatial information and one-dimension of spectral information on a two-dimensional image sensor for an image, such as in the traditional line-scan HSI architecture. However, development of HSI architectures for multiple spatial dimensions is challenging as there is not a third dimension on a two-dimensional image sensor on which to store spectral information. The presented work introduces a snapshot HSI architecture to alleviate this issue. The snapshot HSI architecture incorporates single-point detection via liquid crystal modulation and a single photodiode. Mixing of hyperspectral data is expressed as intermodulation frequency products within the Fourier-domain. Spatial information can be recorded through spatial frequencies and spectral information can be recorded through spectral frequencies. Such modulation is achieved through liquid crystal spatial and spectral arrays of an image beam. The spatial and spectral modulation frequencies form intermodulation frequency products that are recorded on the single photodiode and can be uncovered through Fourier-domain filtering.