Optical chaotic system is a central research topic due to its scientific importance and practical relevance in key photonic applications such as laser optics and optical communication. Because of the ultrafast propagation of light, all previous studies on optical chaos are based on either static imaging or spectral measurement, which shows only time-averaged phenomena. The ability to reveal real-time optical chaotic dynamics and, hence, control its behavior is critical to the further understanding and engineering of these systems. Here, we report a real-time spatial-temporal imaging of an optical chaotic system, using compressed ultrafast photography. The time evolution of the system’s phase map is imaged without repeating measurement. We also demonstrate the ability to simultaneously control and monitor optical chaotic systems in real time. Our work introduces a new angle to the study of nonrepeatable optical chaos, paving the way for fully understanding and using chaotic systems in various disciplines.

光学混沌系统是一个中心研究课题，因为它在激光光学和光通信等关键光子应用中具有科学重要性和实际相关性。由于光的超快传播，以前所有关于光学混沌的研究都是基于静态成像或光谱测量，这仅显示时间平均现象。揭示实时光学混沌动力学并因此控制其行为的能力对于进一步理解和设计这些系统至关重要。在这里，我们使用压缩超快摄影报告了光学混沌系统的实时时空成像。无需重复测量即可对系统相位图的时间演变进行成像。我们还展示了同时实时控制和监控光学混沌系统的能力。