Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

Single-pixel imaging (SPI) has attractive advantages in sensitivity and adaptability in the short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) spectrum, where CCD/CMOS cameras are less performing and/or excessively expensive. However, existing SPI trades speed with reconfigurability, cannot visualize images on the fly, and lacks spectrum resolvability. These limitations, in turn, hinder many applications requesting time-resolved imaging on multiple SWIR bands. To surmount these problems, we request a SWIR polychromator to develop SWIR multi-spectral real-time (MR) SPI for applications in luminescence thermometry, gas flow sensing, multi-contrast LIDAR, and soil property evaluation. The requested instrument is essential to the proposed research because of its multiple-SWIR-band sensing, high bandwidth, and high flexibility. Its customized specifications are tailored for the proposed instrumentation development and targeted applications. Due to the unavailability of similar equipment in Canada and fierce international competition, it is indispensable to purchase this equipment to retain the (co-)applicants' strategic advances, hence placing Canada in a leading position in related fields. Because of its integration with SWIR-MR-SPI and its versatility in the targeted applications, the requested instrument will be heavily used by applicants, collaborators, and users. The proposed research has compelling scientific merits. SWIR-MR-SPI will bring in real-time wide-field band-tunable SWIR imaging at video rate with high sensitivity. This unprecedented imaging ability will enable new measurements for health, environmental science, advanced manufacturing, and agriculture. SWIR-MR-SPI will be developed by integrating the requested instrument into the world's fastest SPI platform invented by the principal applicant's group [Nat Commun 13, 7879 (2022)]. The instrument can be used for both SWIR-MR-SPI's development and targeted applications in parallel, which warrants a highly feasible usage plan. The excellent track records and complementary expertise of the applicants will fully cover the knowledge scope of the proposed research. The team is formed by researchers from different career stages, diverse backgrounds, and under-represented groups. The equipment will be accessed equitably by the team to create a more inclusive research environment. Beyond its scientific merits, the requested equipment will provide the best possible training environment to attract and retain highly qualified personnel (HQP). The training will provide HQP with both hard skills from top-notch research at the frontier of related disciplines and soft skills from professional development and interdisciplinary collaborations. Both sets of skills will be highly marketable for their future careers. The requested equipment will support HQP with all backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. EDI will be reinforced in HQP recruitment, personalized training plans, co-supervision, and codes of conduct.