Work

Single-photon imaging for 3D reflectivity and depth estimation in low-light conditions

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Three-dimensional active imaging systems operating in photon-starved regimes have broad applications, including remote sensing, autonomous navigation, and military surveillance. In this study, we present a noncoaxial scanning imaging system capable of generating high-quality depth and reflectivity images with an average of only ∼1 detected photon per pixel, leveraging a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) detector. The accompanying depth retrieval algorithm integrates an l1-norm regularizer and operates without requiring prior knowledge of the number of targets in the scene. This design significantly enhances the algorithm’s robustness and reliability for practical applications. Experimental results validate the proposed algorithm’s effectiveness, underscoring its potential for advancing three-dimensional active imaging under photon-starved conditions.

Source: Frontiers in Physics

DOI: 10.3389/fphy.2025.1544914

Authors: Yi Chen, Zhenyu Zhang, Liqiang Wang, Penghuan Liu, Yan Shi

Institutions: China Jiliang University, Zhejiang University, State Administration for Market Regulation

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Optical Sensing Technologies

Subfield: Instrumentation

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,077

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key Research and Development Program of China