MT - Master

Summary

Students analyse the fundamental characteristics of optical detectors, their architectures, selected applications and case studies. Photoemissive devices, photodiodes, infrared and single-photon detectors are studied. CCD, CMOS and SPAD cameras are analysed in detail, including advanced systems.

Content

• Introduction: Electromagnetic radiation, radiometric quantities, interaction of light with matter, classification of detectors, noise sources, detector figures of merit.

• Optical methods: selected examples: Synchronous detection and interferometers, position sensors, 3D imaging, Fourier optics and microscopy, superresolution microscopy techniques.

• Photoemissive detectors: External photoeffect, vacuum photodiodes, photomultipliers, microchannel plates, applications.

• Photodiodes: basic principles and structures, avalanche photodiodes, noise sources, ultra-fast photodiodes.

• CCD cameras: Charge Coupled Devices (CCD): CCD principles and building blocks, CCD charge transport and image sensor architectures.

• CMOS cameras: Photocharge detection, photodiodes in CMOS, array sensor architectures, noise in photodetection systems, APS (Active Pixel Sensor), HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging. Specialty and advanced CMOS cameras
(3D-stacking, BSI vs. FSI). On-chip optics and technology-related aspects..

• Infrared detectors: InGaAs/InP heterojunctions, basic principles, metrology.

• Single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs): SPAD basic principles, metrology, silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) vs. SPAD arrays, imagers. Selected use cases (time-resolved imaging, commercial systems & LIDAR, biophotonics & microscopy). Advanced SPAD cameras..

• Single photon detection: PMTs and photon counting, intensified cameras, hybrid detectors, electron-multiplying
CCDs, low-noise CMOS imagers.