Imaging through scattering layers exceeding memory effect range by exploiting prior information

Abstract Optical imaging through scattering layers based on the ‘memory effect’ (ME) always suffers from a limited field of view. Here, we present a method that employs prior information to provide indispensable support for imaging behind a scattering medium, in which case the transversal distance between the targets is beyond the limited range determined by the ME. We experimentally demonstrate that given a known target, or even a light point-source, the other unknown object beyond the ME can be determined with only a single-shot camera image, even if the information of targets are mixed in the speckle pattern. Based on the same concept, we show that our technique is also capable of imaging extended object, whose size is larger than the limited range of ME. This work may have potential in practical applications such as imaging through turbulent medium or the biomedical imaging.