Sensors (Jun 2016)

Photon-Counting Arrays for Time-Resolved Imaging

  • I. Michel Antolovic,
  • Samuel Burri,
  • Ron A. Hoebe,
  • Yuki Maruyama,
  • Claudio Bruschini,
  • Edoardo Charbon

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/s16071005
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 7
p. 1005

Abstract

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The paper presents a camera comprising 512 × 128 pixels capable of single-photon detection and gating with a maximum frame rate of 156 kfps. The photon capture is performed through a gated single-photon avalanche diode that generates a digital pulse upon photon detection and through a digital one-bit counter. Gray levels are obtained through multiple counting and accumulation, while time-resolved imaging is achieved through a 4-ns gating window controlled with subnanosecond accuracy by a field-programmable gate array. The sensor, which is equipped with microlenses to enhance its effective fill factor, was electro-optically characterized in terms of sensitivity and uniformity. Several examples of capture of fast events are shown to demonstrate the suitability of the approach.

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