Ghost imaging Lidar: principle, progress and prospect

Abstract Ghost imaging (GI), as a computational imaging technology, can staringly obtain the target’s image by computing the second-order correlation function between the intensity of modulation field and the target’s echo signal recorded by a single-pixel detector. Since GI with classical light source was experimentally demonstrated, GI Lidar has been considered to be one of the best application prospects in GI direction and become a research hotspot. With in-depth study and development of GI Lidar in recent years, GI Lidar has achieved significant progress and is expected to be applied in the near future. In this paper, we try to sketch the basic principles and superiorities of two kinds of GI Lidar. Next, with respect to the application of long-range, high-resolution, and high-speed moving target detection and recognition, we introduce the development progress of narrow-pulsed GI Lidar and long-pulsed GI Lidar via heterodyne detection. Finally, the key problems and prospect of GI Lidar are also discussed.