A new device employs innovative optical technology to capture images within a single pulse of ultrafast laser. Image source: Fun Science website.
BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Canadian scientists have developed the fastest camera known to date, capable of capturing images at a speed of 1.56 quadrillion frames per second. This camera allows scientists to peer into phenomena occurring within femtoseconds (one quadrillionth of a second), aiding in the development of ultrafast magnetic storage devices and pioneering new fields in ultrasound medicine. The related paper was published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Communications.
The primary challenge in imaging ultrafast phenomena lies in the fact that even the fastest camera sensors previously could only capture frames at speeds of several hundred million frames per second, whereas many events in nature occur at speeds several orders of magnitude faster.
In 2020, a team from the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) in Quebec, Canada, enhanced the imaging speed of cameras to 700 trillion frames per second using compressed ultrafast photography. In their latest research, they have more than doubled this speed using a technique called "Sweeping-Code Aperture Real-time Femtophotography" (SCARF).
The unique aspect of the new SCARF camera lies in its imaging approach. By rapidly scanning a static coded aperture, the camera can capture images without truncating ultrafast phenomena. This innovative method enables the camera to capture extremely fast "chirped" laser pulses at a speed of 1.56 quadrillion frames per second. In these pulses, the wavelength of light is stretched, allowing different colors of light to enter the sensor at different times, thereby capturing spatial information. Subsequently, advanced computer algorithms process the raw image data, transforming each frame from tens of trillions into clear images.
The team used the new device to photograph semiconductors absorbing laser pulse photons and laser demagnetizing alloy films, the latter being significant for developing magnetism-based novel computing memory. The camera also holds promise for recording cellular reactions to shockwaves induced by ultrasound devices, potentially making a significant impact in the medical field.
(Original title: "Capturing 1.56 Quadrillion Frames per Second: World's Fastest Camera Unveiled")
