Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

OBJECTIVES: This Discovery Grant (DG) application aims to support the long-term objective of Prof. Jinyang Liang's multidisciplinary research program: to establish a pan-Canada research network that develops novel ultrafast computational imaging instruments for Canada's innovation priority research areas. For the next 5 years, this DG will support 2 short-term aims: (i) to develop single-shot intelligent plenoptic ultrahigh-speed microscopy (SIPUM) and (ii) to apply high-dimensional optical imaging to unified and accurate analyses of plasma emission for environmental science and agricultural applications. BACKGROUND: Plasma is featured by its transient optical emission embedded in 7 photon tags-x,y,z: space; ?,f: angle; t: time; ?: wavelength. Considering the non-repeatable nature of plasma emission and its susceptibility to the environment, it is highly desired to image 7 photon tags all at once during the emission. However, existing optical instruments are limited in imaging dimensionality, inevitably requiring repetitive measurements. Consequently, these multiple-shot methods fall short of capturing the full evolution of complex plasma emission, cannot provide a unified description of the event, and suffer from low measurement efficiency and accuracy. APPROACH: To overcome these limitations, the proposed SIPUM will synergize compressed sensing, Fourier light-field microscopy, streak imaging, and artificial intelligence. In data acquisition, the 7-dimensional datacube of plasma emission will be recorded in 2-dimensional snapshots in a single exposure. In the following image reconstruction, a machine-learning algorithm will reconstruct spectrally resolved ultrafast movies at different views and then fuse them to retrieve angular and depth information. Fully recovering the 7 photon tags, SIPUM will advance the studies of plasma streamers and plasma jets generated by high-voltage discharges in liquid and gas as well as laser-induced plasma on soil. The produced 7-dimensional movies will be used to accurately deduce the evolution of important plasma properties. SIGNIFICANCE: SIPUM marks the next-generation state-of-the-art computational imager for plasma science. Being jitter-free and offering "all-in-one" characterization, SIPUM will address a long-standing problem in plasma imaging and analysis. For fundamental research, the outcome will generate new insight into many open questions, including the reasons for plasma ignition in liquid and the origin of the broad emission continuum. In environmental science, the analysis of the related reactions occurring in the discharge will allow optimizing the operating conditions for portable plasma water purification, improving the living environment and health of ~1 billion people worldwide who lack clean drinking water. In agriculture, the analysis will bring in a more accurate analysis of potassium-a key element in soil, providing insight into soil nutrient-supplying capacity for crop production.