Mega-FPS low light camera

Area of Science:

• Scientific Imaging
• Optical Physics
• Photonics

Background:

• High frame rate and high quantum efficiency imaging are crucial across various scientific fields.
• Existing cameras often compromise one requirement to achieve the other.
• There is a persistent need for imaging systems that excel in both speed and sensitivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel imaging technique, interlaced fast kinetics imaging.
• To enable burst video acquisition at extremely high frame rates (up to 3.33 Mfps).
• To achieve single-photon sensitivity with commercial cameras.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing interlaced fast kinetics imaging with a commercial Electron-Multiplying Charge-Coupled Device (EMCCD) camera.
• Incorporating a tilted lens array to create a grid of exposed pixels aligned to sensor rows.
• Employing unexposed pixels as in-situ storage registers for rapid frame capture.

Main Results:

• Achieved burst video acquisition at frame rates up to 3.33 Mfps.
• Maintained 50% contrast for intensity modulation frequencies up to 1.62 MHz.
• Successfully captured 2D videos of dynamic patterns with 11x15 pixel resolution, repeating every 2 microseconds.

Conclusions:

• Interlaced fast kinetics imaging offers a viable method for ultra-fast imaging with single-photon sensitivity.
• The technique is compatible with existing commercial EMCCD cameras.
• Potential applications include fast fluorescence imaging and photon correlation measurements.