Who
Medical, space, and scientific imaging; artificial and virtual reality; security and defense; automotive sensing; computer vision; and other applications relying on high-quality, low-light imaging.
What
Called the Quanta Image Sensor (QIS), this light sensing technology enables highly sensitive, more easily manipulated, and higher-quality digital imaging than is currently available, even in low-light situations. QIS technology reliably captures and counts the lowest level of light — single photons — with resolution as high as one megapixel (one million pixels) and as fast as thousands of frames per second. The QIS can accomplish this in low light, at room temperature, and while using mainstream image sensor technology. Previous technology required large pixels or cooling to low temperatures, or both. The sensor incorporates “Jots,” named for very small pixels that are sensitive enough to detect a single photon of light. A QIS may contain hundreds of millions to billions of jots. Innovative circuit design technologies are used to scan the jots at an ultra-high frame rate to capture every photon.

When
The Quanta Image Sensor is being developed by Dartmouth College spinoff company, Gigajot Technology (www.gigajot.tech), for use in a number of applications.
Where
Dartmouth College, Thayer School of Engineering, Hanover, NH
Why
The QIS captures data from every single photon, enabling extremely high-quality, easily manipulated digital imaging, even in low-light conditions.
Contact Callaway Zuccarello at