# Fourier DiffuserScope: Single-shot 3D Fourier light field microscopy with a diffuser

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2006.16343 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2006.16343/

## Key facts

- Cited by 7 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 29 Jun 2020.

## Built on by (most cited first, 7 of 7)

- [Untrained networks for compressive lensless photography](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2103.07609/) (2021)
- [CodedEvents: Optimal Point-Spread-Function Engineering for 3D-Tracking with Event Cameras](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.09409/) (2024)
- [Physics vs. Learned Priors: Rethinking Camera and Algorithm Design for Task-Specific Imaging](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2204.09871/) (2022)
- [FourierNets enable the design of highly non-local optical encoders for computational imaging](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2104.10611/) (2021)
- [Diffractive lensless imaging with optimized Voronoi-Fresnel phase](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2109.13703/) (2021)
- [Computationally Efficient Information-Driven Optical Design with Interchanging Optimization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.07789/) (2025)
- [Sparse Light Field Sampling Improves Casual 3D and 4D Reconstruction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.20602/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Light field microscopy (LFM) uses a microlens array (MLA) near the sensor plane of a microscope to achieve single-shot 3D imaging of a sample without any moving parts. Unfortunately, the 3D capability of LFM comes with a significant loss of lateral resolution at the focal plane. Placing the MLA near the pupil plane of the microscope, instead of the image plane, can mitigate the artifacts and provide an efficient forward model, at the expense of field-of-view (FOV). Here, we demonstrate improved resolution across a large volume with Fourier DiffuserScope, which uses a diffuser in the pupil plane to encode 3D information, then computationally reconstructs the volume by solving a sparsity-constrained inverse problem. Our diffuser consists of randomly placed microlenses with varying focal lengths; the random positions provide a larger FOV compared to a conventional MLA, and the diverse focal lengths improve the axial depth range. To predict system performance based on diffuser parameters, we for the first time establish a theoretical framework and design guidelines, which are verified by numerical simulations, then build an experimental system that achieves < 3 um lateral and 4 um axial resolution over a 1000 × 1000 × 280 um3 volume. Our diffuser design outperforms the MLA used in LFM, providing more uniform resolution over a larger volume, both laterally and axially.