Foveated imaging provides a better tradeoff between situational awareness (field of view) and resolution, and is critical in long wavelength infrared regimes because of the size, weight, power, and cost of thermal sensors. We demonstrate computational foveated imaging by exploiting the ability of a meta-optical frontend to discriminate between different polarization states and a computational backend to reconstruct the captured image/video. The frontend is a three-element optic: the first element, which we call the “foveal” element, is a metalens that focuses s-polarized light at a distance of f1${f_1}$ without affecting the p-polarized light; the second element, which we call the “perifovea” element, is another metalens that focuses p-polarized light at a distance of f2${f_2}$ without affecting the s${ s}$-polarized light. The third element is a freely rotating polarizer that dynamically changes the mixing ratios between the two polarization states. Both the foveal element (focal length=150mm$\text{length} = {150}\;{\text{mm}}$; diameter=75mm$\text{diameter} = {75}\;{\text{mm}}$) and the perifoveal element (focal length=25mm$\text{length} = {25}\;{\text{mm}}$; diameter=25mm$\text{diameter} = {25}\;{\text{mm}}$) were fabricated as polarization-sensitive, all-silicon, meta surfaces resulting in a large-aperture, 1:6 foveal expansion, thermal imaging capability. A computational backend then utilizes a deep image prior to separate the resultant multiplexed image or video into a foveated image consisting of a high resolution center and a lower-resolution large field of view context. We build a prototype system and demonstrate 12 frames per second real-time, thermal, foveated image and video capture..

中文翻译：

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使用全硅元光学的焦点热计算成像原型

中心凹成像在态势感知（视场）和分辨率之间提供了更好的权衡，并且由于热传感器的尺寸、重量、功率和成本，在长波长红外区域中至关重要。我们通过利用元光学前端区分不同偏振态的能力和计算后端来重建捕获的图像/视频的能力来演示计算注视点成像。前端是一个三元件光学器件：第一个元件，我们称为“中心凹”元件，是一个超透镜，可将 s 偏振光聚焦在f 1${f_1}$的距离处，而不影响 p 偏振光；第二个元件，我们称之为“perifovea”元件，是另一种超透镜，可将 p 偏振光聚焦在f 2${f_2}$距离处，而不影响s${ s}$偏振光。第三个元件是一个自由旋转的偏振器，可以动态改变两种偏振态之间的混合比。中央凹元件（焦距= 150毫米$\text{length} = {150}\;{\text{mm}}$; 直径= 75mm$\text{diameter} = {75}\;{\text{mm}}$）和中心凹周围元件（焦距= 25毫米$\text{length} = {25}\;{\text{mm}}$; 直径= 25mm$\text{diameter} = {25}\;{\text{mm}}$）被制造为偏振敏感的全硅元表面，从而产生大孔径、1:6 中心凹扩展、热成像能力。然后，计算后端利用深度图像，然后将生成的多路复用图像或视频分离成由高分辨率中心和较低分辨率大视场上下文组成的注视点图像。我们构建了一个原型系统并演示了每秒 12 帧的实时、热、中心点图像和视频捕获。