Imaging in complex media

Abstract

Imaging can take many forms—from optical microscopes and telescopes through ultrasonography to X-ray tomography. However, regardless of the imaging modality, the presence of a complex heterogeneous structure between the imaging system and the scene of interest limits the quality of the images that can be conventionally obtained. In this Review we outline recently introduced strategies to overcome the detrimental effects of scattering in optical imaging. In particular, we focus on approaches that either physically correct scattering using computer-controlled devices or employ computational inversion based on intrinsic correlations of light scattering. Despite focusing on optical techniques, this Review emphasizes the fundamental equivalence of the effects of scattering in different fields of imaging, using the scattering matrix formalism as a bridge that allows techniques developed in one field to be translated to another.