IMAGING SYSTEMS INCLUDING LOW PHOTON COUNT OPTICAL RECEIVER

摘要

An imaging system (300) is provided. The system includes a second harmonic generator (308) for receiving a source photon beam of a first wavelength and generating a sensor photon beam of the first wavelength and a pump photon beam of a second wavelength that is one half of the first wavelength. The system also includes an amplifier (202) for receiving a signal photon beam and the pump photon beams and producing an amplified photon beam of the first wavelength, where a number of photons in the amplified photon beam being greater a number of photons in the signal photon beam and the signal photon beam includes a portion of the sensor photon beam reflected from a target (318). The system further includes at least one photon counter (204) configured to receive and detect at least a portion of the photons in the amplified photon beam.