Noise-tolerant single-photon imaging by using non-diffractive pulsed laser beams.

Accurate optical imaging capable of reconstructing three-dimensional (3D) target objects with strong surrounding noises are highly demanding in diverse applications. For conventional imagers with narrow probe beams, the probe beams usually suffer from serious spreading and distortion due to the diffraction and surrounding noises. Here, we construct a 3D imager by using pulsed Bessel beams, enabling reconstruction of high-resolution 3D profiles with sub-millimeter transverse resolution and sub-centimeter depth resolution. We demonstrate that due to the outstanding diffraction-free and self-healing properties of Bessel beams, the present imager can provide high-quality reconstructed images in high-noise environments with opaque scatters. The method developed here for reducing the effects of surrounding noises can also be exploited in the light detection and ranging technology at single-photon level. • We report the construction of a novel noise-tolerant 3D imager by using the non-diffractive pulsed laser beams for reconstructing 3D images of target objects. • We demonstrate that, due to the outstanding diffraction-free and self-healing properties of Bessel beams, our imager can provide high-quality reconstructed images for small target objects. Moreover, the imager can operate in high-noise environments with both opaque and non-opaque scatters. • The method and technology developed in this work for suppressing diffraction and noises are useful for designing LidAR systems and have potential applications in optical information processing and transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]