53 research outputs found
Quanta Burst Photography
Single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) are an emerging sensor technology
capable of detecting individual incident photons, and capturing their
time-of-arrival with high timing precision. While these sensors were limited to
single-pixel or low-resolution devices in the past, recently, large (up to 1
MPixel) SPAD arrays have been developed. These single-photon cameras (SPCs) are
capable of capturing high-speed sequences of binary single-photon images with
no read noise. We present quanta burst photography, a computational photography
technique that leverages SPCs as passive imaging devices for photography in
challenging conditions, including ultra low-light and fast motion. Inspired by
recent success of conventional burst photography, we design algorithms that
align and merge binary sequences captured by SPCs into intensity images with
minimal motion blur and artifacts, high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and high
dynamic range. We theoretically analyze the SNR and dynamic range of quanta
burst photography, and identify the imaging regimes where it provides
significant benefits. We demonstrate, via a recently developed SPAD array, that
the proposed method is able to generate high-quality images for scenes with
challenging lighting, complex geometries, high dynamic range and moving
objects. With the ongoing development of SPAD arrays, we envision quanta burst
photography finding applications in both consumer and scientific photography.Comment: A version with better-quality images can be found on the project
webpage: http://wisionlab.cs.wisc.edu/project/quanta-burst-photography
The Quanta Image Sensor: Every Photon Counts
The Quanta Image Sensor (QIS) was conceived when contemplating shrinking pixel sizes and storage capacities, and the steady increase in digital processing power. In the single-bit QIS, the output of each field is a binary bit plane, where each bit represents the presence or absence of at least one photoelectron in a photodetector. A series of bit planes is generated through high-speed readout, and a kernel or âcubicleâ of bits (x, y, t) is used to create a single output image pixel. The size of the cubicle can be adjusted post-acquisition to optimize image quality. The specialized sub-diffraction-limit photodetectors in the QIS are referred to as âjotsâ and a QIS may have a gigajot or more, read out at 1000 fps, for a data rate exceeding 1 Tb/s. Basically, we are trying to count photons as they arrive at the sensor. This paper reviews the QIS concept and its imaging characteristics. Recent progress towards realizing the QIS for commercial and scientific purposes is discussed. This includes implementation of a pump-gate jot device in a 65 nm CIS BSI process yielding read noise as low as 0.22 eâ r.m.s. and conversion gain as high as 420 ”V/eâ, power efficient readout electronics, currently as low as 0.4 pJ/b in the same process, creating high dynamic range images from jot data, and understanding the imaging characteristics of single-bit and multi-bit QIS devices. The QIS represents a possible major paradigm shift in image capture
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