Investigation on tolerance of computational ghost imaging for directional underwater turbulence

This study investigates the effects of underwater turbulence on computational ghost imaging (CGI) technology, combining theoretical analysis with experimental data. We simulated vehicle-induced turbulence and utilized compressed sensing for image reconstruction to analyze its impact on image quality. Our findings reveal that turbulence, especially flow-aligned with the light beam, significantly degrades image quality, with the most pronounced effects at the signal reception end. As turbulence increases, image quality declines, and turbulence directionality substantially affects image quality, with parallel turbulence causing more wavefront aberrations. CGI shows tolerance to light-perpendicular turbulence, maintaining clarity despite resolution, contrast, and brightness reductions during intense turbulence. We introduced PSNR and SSIM to quantify the impact of turbulence on image quality, confirming CGI's resilience to turbulence interference. Our results imply that optimizing the vehicle platform's propulsion system to minimize turbulence in the signal detection direction can preserve ghost imaging performance. This research lays a scientific groundwork for improving CGI's turbulence resistance in underwater environments, aiding its practical use in complex underwater scenarios.