Fiber-based imaging: challenges and recent advances

Multicore and multimode optical fibers enable the transmission of high-resolution images from locations that conventional imaging systems cannot reach. However, the compactness of these hair-thin probes comes at a price: light propagation within the fiber introduces complex spatial, spectral, and polarization distortions that degrade image quality and stability. This talk will outline the underlying physical principles, key challenges, recent advances, and remaining problems in fiber-based imaging.