Noise suppression and image enhancement in cold atom absorption imaging

• Published in: Applied optics (2004) 2025-01, Vol.64 (1), p.1
• Main Authors: Zheng, Pengcheng, Zhang, Songqian, Ma, Zhu, Niu, Haipo, Wu, Jiatao, Huang, Zerui, Han, Chengyin, Lu, Bo, Liu, Peiliang, Lee, Chaohong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absorption; Algorithms; Atomic properties; Atomic structure; Background noise; Cold; Image contrast; Image enhancement; Noise levels; Noise measurement; Noise reduction; Signal to noise ratio; Spatial distribution; Ultracold atoms
• ISSN: 1559-128X; 2155-3165
• DOI: 10.1364/AO.539754

The noise in absorption imaging of cold atoms significantly impacts measurement accuracy across a range of applications with ultracold atoms. It is crucial to adopt an approach that offers effective denoising capabilities without compromising the unique structure of atom clouds. Here, we introduce, to our knowledge, a novel image enhancement algorithm for cold atomic absorption imaging. The algorithm successfully suppresses background noise, enhancing image contrast significantly. Experimental results showcase that this approach can improve the image’s signal-to-noise ratio by about 10 dB and enhance the uncertainty of cold atom number measurements by approximately tenfold, preserving the spatial distribution of the atom clouds. Moreover, the method exhibits exceptional performance and robustness when confronted with fringe noise and multi-component imaging scenarios, offering high stability. Importantly, this method can perform denoising based on a single image (without the need to establish a reference library), and the optimization process is entirely automated, eliminating the need for manual parameter selection. The method is both compatible and practical, making it applicable to various cold atom absorption imaging fields.