Photon counting imaging with an electron-bombarded CCD: Towards a parallel-processing photoelectronic time-to-amplitude converter

TY - JOUR

T1 - Photon counting imaging with an electron-bombarded CCD

T2 - Towards a parallel-processing photoelectronic time-to-amplitude converter

AU - Hirvonen, Liisa M.

AU - Jiggins, Stephen

AU - Sergent, Nicolas

AU - Zanda, Gianmarco

AU - Suhling, Klaus

PY - 2014/12

Y1 - 2014/12

N2 - We have used an electron-bombarded CCD for optical photon counting imaging. The photon event pulse height distribution was found to be linearly dependent on the gain voltage. We propose on this basis that a gain voltage sweep during exposure in an electron-bombarded sensor would allow photon arrival time determination with sub-frame exposure time resolution. This effectively uses an electron-bombarded sensor as a parallel-processing photoelectronic time-to-amplitude converter, or a two-dimensional photon counting streak camera. Several applications that require timing of photon arrival, including Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy, may benefit from such an approach. A simulation of a voltage sweep performed with experimental data collected with different acceleration voltages validates the principle of this approach. Moreover, photon event centroiding was performed and a hybrid 50% Gaussian/Centre of Gravity + 50% Hyperbolic cosine centroiding algorithm was found to yield the lowest fixed pattern noise. Finally, the camera was mounted on a fluorescence microscope to image F-actin filaments stained with the fluorescent dye Alexa 488 in fixed cells.

AB - We have used an electron-bombarded CCD for optical photon counting imaging. The photon event pulse height distribution was found to be linearly dependent on the gain voltage. We propose on this basis that a gain voltage sweep during exposure in an electron-bombarded sensor would allow photon arrival time determination with sub-frame exposure time resolution. This effectively uses an electron-bombarded sensor as a parallel-processing photoelectronic time-to-amplitude converter, or a two-dimensional photon counting streak camera. Several applications that require timing of photon arrival, including Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy, may benefit from such an approach. A simulation of a voltage sweep performed with experimental data collected with different acceleration voltages validates the principle of this approach. Moreover, photon event centroiding was performed and a hybrid 50% Gaussian/Centre of Gravity + 50% Hyperbolic cosine centroiding algorithm was found to yield the lowest fixed pattern noise. Finally, the camera was mounted on a fluorescence microscope to image F-actin filaments stained with the fluorescent dye Alexa 488 in fixed cells.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84919363172&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1063/1.4901935

DO - 10.1063/1.4901935

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84919363172

SN - 0034-6748

VL - 85

JO - REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS

JF - REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS

IS - 12

M1 - 123102

ER -