Kilometer-range, high resolution depth imaging via 1560 nm wavelength single-photon detection

Opt Express. 2013 Apr 8;21(7):8904-15. doi: 10.1364/OE.21.008904.

Abstract

This paper highlights a significant advance in time-of-flight depth imaging: by using a scanning transceiver which incorporated a free-running, low noise superconducting nanowire single-photon detector, we were able to obtain centimeter resolution depth images of low-signature objects in daylight at stand-off distances of the order of one kilometer at the relatively eye-safe wavelength of 1560 nm. The detector used had an efficiency of 18% at 1 kHz dark count rate, and the overall system jitter was ~100 ps. The depth images were acquired by illuminating the scene with an optical output power level of less than 250 µW average, and using per-pixel dwell times in the millisecond regime.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Image Enhancement / instrumentation*
  • Photometry / instrumentation*
  • Photons
  • Telecommunications / instrumentation*
  • Transducers*