17. 09. 2023.

11:29 TpxCam - Fast Imaging Lab

TpxCam MENU

TpxCam
Fast novel system for time stamping of optical photons

Resolving the time evolution of fast processes, measuring the time-of-

flight of particles or lifetime for fluorescent processes, and looking at time
correlations in spatially resolved events are the main drivers for the
development of sensors with the best possible time resolution. When an
event-triggered time measurement is needed with best possible spatial
resolution, silicon pixel arrays offer the best performance. There were a
number of exciting developments in this area over the last decade, when
the time resolution improved by orders of magnitude, and it is currently
approaching the nanosecond scale. Several devices exist which perform to
this specification, including the Timepix CMOS ASICs, which were
developed by the Medipix collaboration for detection of X-rays and other
types of radiation in a variety of applications [1,2]. We describe here fast
optical cameras based on a new silicon pixel sensor, which in combination
with the Timepix chips, will provide nanosecond scale time resolution and
high quantum efficiency for photons with wavelength between 400 and
1050nm.

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High-end optical imagers with good sensitivity are commercially available

for framing rates up to 10kHz, corresponding to a time resolution of 100µs,
which is orders of magnitude inferior to the requirements stated above.
Specialized cameras based on CCD or CMOS technology are becoming
available which can achieve faster rates. Since the data rate is becoming
prohibitively large at this speed, this could be achieved by “ photon
counting” or "photon time stamping" i.e. by measuring only the time for
pixels in which the signal exceeds a certain predefined level. This
technique was implemented in Timepix, which, after the addition of a pixel
sensor, is normally used for the detection of charged particles and X-rays,
with the sensor attachment achieved via the “bump-bonding” process.
Here we describe a new silicon pixel sensor with a thin entrance window
and an anti-reflective coating, similar to the ones used for astronomic
CCDs. The sensor has a design compatible with Timepix and employs
commercially available readout systems, for example SPIDR [3].

The Tpx3Cam is available to get from Amsterdam Scientific Instruments .

References
1. Timepix
2. Timepix 3
3. SPIDR readout

Applications
Time Stamping Light Sources Single Photon Ion Imaging
Detection

Recent Publications
21. G. D'Amen, M. Keach, A. Nomerotski, P. Svihra and A. Tricoli: Novel
imaging technique for α-particles using a fast optical camera.; Arxiv
20. H. Van Sa Lam, S. Yarlagadda, A. Venkatachalam, T. Nganba Wangjam,
R. K. Kushawaha, C. Cheng, P. Svihra, A. Nomerotski, T. Weinacht, D.
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Rolles, and V. Kumarappan: Angle-dependent strong-field ionization

and fragmentation of carbon dioxide measured using rotational wave
packets. Physical Review A. (2020) 102; DOI
.. more

 
TpxCam team 2020

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