Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 12, 2026
07:56
A Photonic System for Generating Unconditional Polarization-Entangled Photons Based on Multiple Quantum Interference
Published on: September 5, 2019
9.0K
High Dynamic Range Imaging at the Quantum Limit with Single Photon Avalanche Diode-Based Image Sensors
Neale A W Dutton1, Tarek Al Abbas2, Istvan Gyongy3
1STMicroelectronics Imaging Division, Tanfield, Edinburgh EH3 5DA, UK. neale.dutton@st.com.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 12, 2018
Summary
This study introduces a novel method to enhance High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging using single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs). The technique achieves over 100 dB dynamic range, enabling detailed imaging in challenging lighting conditions.
Area of Science:
- Photon Counting Imaging
- Solid-State Image Sensors
Background:
- Single Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) offer high sensitivity but face challenges in achieving High Dynamic Range (HDR).
- Existing HDR imaging techniques often require complex external processing or compromise on resolution and frame rate.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and demonstrate an in-pixel method for exploiting the full HDR capabilities of SPADs.
- To create a scalable HDR photon-counting pixel architecture suitable for megapixel arrays.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of multi-exposure HDR combined with temporal oversampling within the pixel.
- Design of a silicon integrated circuit (IC) featuring an 8.25 µm pitch, 66% fill-factor SPAD pixel array (96x40).
- Internal summation of 15 bit-planes per frame for data compression.
Main Results:
- Achieved >100 dB dynamic range using three sequential exposures (short, mid, long).
- Demonstrated 3.75x data compression, enabling 1k frames per second (FPS) output from 45,000 on-chip field images per second.
- Successfully fabricated a silicon demonstration IC.
Conclusions:
- The proposed in-pixel HDR technique effectively leverages SPADs for superior dynamic range imaging.
- The demonstrated pixel architecture is scalable to megapixel formats and allows for future miniaturization.
- This work paves the way for advanced HDR photon-counting sensors in various applications.
Related Concept Videos
02:43Quantum Numbers
52.3K
It is said that the energy of an electron in an atom is quantized; that is, it can be equal only to certain specific values and can jump from one energy level to another but not transition smoothly or stay between these levels.
52.3K
02:45The Quantum-Mechanical Model of an Atom
59.7K
Shortly after de Broglie published his ideas that the electron in a hydrogen atom could be better thought of as being a circular standing wave instead of a particle moving in quantized circular orbits, Erwin Schrödinger extended de Broglie’s work by deriving what is now known as the Schrödinger equation. When Schrödinger applied his equation to hydrogen-like atoms, he was able to reproduce Bohr’s expression for the energy and, thus, the Rydberg formula governing hydrogen spectra.
59.7K
00:59Range
14.3K
The range is one of the measures of variation. It can be defined as the difference between a dataset's highest and lowest values. For example, in the study of seven 16-ounce soda cans, the filled volume of soda was measured, thus producing the following amount (in ounces) of soda:
15.9; 16.1; 15.2; 14.8; 15.8; 15.9; 16.0; 15.5
Measurements of the amount of soda in a 16-ounce can vary since different subjects record these measurements or since the exact amount - 16 ounces of liquid, was not...
15.9; 16.1; 15.2; 14.8; 15.8; 15.9; 16.0; 15.5
Measurements of the amount of soda in a 16-ounce can vary since different subjects record these measurements or since the exact amount - 16 ounces of liquid, was not...
14.3K
02:27Limiting Reactant
70.4K
The relative amounts of reactants and products represented in a balanced chemical equation are often referred to as stoichiometric amounts. However, in reality, the reactants are not always present in the stoichiometric amounts indicated by the balanced equation.
70.4K
01:16Zener Diodes
1.3K
Zener diodes are specialized semiconductor devices designed to operate in the reverse breakdown region, where they allow current to flow into the cathode, making it positive relative to the anode. This reverse operation distinguishes Zener diodes from conventional diodes and enables their use in various applications, most notably as voltage regulators. One of the defining characteristics of Zener diodes is their nearly vertical I-V (current-voltage) characteristic curve above a certain...
1.3K
01:192D NMR: Heteronuclear Single-Quantum Correlation Spectroscopy (HSQC)
1.5K
Heteronuclear single-quantum correlation spectroscopy (HSQC) is a 2D NMR technique that reveals one-bond correlations between hydrogen and a heteronucleus. The HSQC experiment is similar to the heteronuclear correlation experiment (HETCOR) but is more sensitive. In the HSQC spectrum, the proton chemical shift is plotted on the horizontal F2 axis, while the 13C chemical shift is plotted on the vertical F1 axis. The corresponding proton and 13C spectra are also shown. The HSQC contour plot does...
1.5K