Single-photon avalanche diode

very common for them to try to maximize their sensitivity at the receiver.

So they use APDs or SPADs to improve sensitivity.

Because at the receiver, all the phase information is lost anyway.

So they just try to maximize the sensitivity so they can see further out.

But in principle, you can do match filtering with coded waveforms, things like Barker codes and things like that to improve your sensitivity.

And also, another thing that makes threshold-based ranging very attractive, because it's a simple threshold detector, you don't care about distorting the waveform.

So then you can operate with APDs or SPADs and get really good sensitivity.

Actually, this LiDAR we just looked at, it uses SPADs for detecting the pulses.

Single-photon avalanche diode image sensors have thrived in scientific studies, but they're moving beyond the lab into the real world for more practical applications.

Now in 3D sensing, robotics, and machine vision, SPAD sensors are growing in popularity.

When it comes to imaging today, CMOS sensors are certainly the dominant technology, found in smartphones, digital cameras, automotive cameras, medical imaging, and more.

But the advances in SPAD sensors could soon bring about a changing of the guard.

Sebastian Bauer thinks so.

He's the CEO and co-founder of Ubisa, an industry leader in single-photon imaging.

Sebastian wants to bring SPADs into more applications.

He believes, and hopes, that SPADs will begin to take over some of the jobs currently dominated by CMOS sensors.