Apd-based Photon Counting Imaging System Development And Experimental Studies

As the development of low-level-light imaging intensifier technique and low-level-light imaging devices, photon counting imaging technology has made rapid progress and gradually reaches its maturity. This technique can detect single photon in principle, thus it can be used for imaging in ultra-low illumination. Photon counting technique have found broad applications in military reconnaissance, aerospace, space exploration, deep-sea exploration, biomedical and other fields.In this work, we chose avalanche photodiode detector (APD) working in Geiger mode as the core detector of system, which is suitable for single photon detection.Based on photon statistics and Beckman's rough-surface-reflection-theory we established the photon counting imaging model to simulate two-dimension scanning imaging process. Experimentally, we develop an automatic scanning imaging system using an avalanche photodiode detector (APD) working in Geiger mode as the detector. Dark counts, the gray scale response and other parameters were tested. Two images of different characteristics at various illuminations and resolutions were obtained. The experimental results and simulation were compared and analyzed. We conclude that the complicated images such as a human face picture can be achieved with light level of the 10-5lux and simple images like black-white strip can be imaged with light level of 10-6lux, using current system.Finally, we suggest the directions of future research of imaging system as well as photon counting imaging technique.