Diffraction-limited mid-infrared hyperspectral single-pixel imaging microscopy

Mid-infrared (mid-IR) hyperspectral imaging is of great practical interest in various fields of science and industry due to its ability to provide spatially resolved label-free chemical information. However, the widespread adoption and advancement of mid-IR hyperspectral imaging are hindered by high costs and the specification lag of mid-IR focal plane arrays. In this contribution, we propose a method to circumvent this problem and thus demonstrate a solution for mid-IR hyperspectral imaging through the use of a single-pixel imaging paradigm involving a mid-IR enhanced digital micro-mirror device (DMD); as a light source, a high-brightness mid-IR supercontinuum source is exploited. The developed mid-IR hyperspectral microscope enables the acquisition of hyperspectral cubes with dimensions of 64x64 pixels and a spectral resolution of 120 nm accomplished within approximately 450 ms. The developed laser-based system provides rapid mid-IR hyperspectral imaging with a programmable scalable field of view and variable spatial resolution. Thus, this solution represents a cost-effective alternative to state-of-the-art mid-infrared imagers.