Photodetector nanotechnology enables photos in low-light conditions, with use in medical imaging applications
Dark and blurry low-light photos could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to SUNY College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) scientists who have developed ultrathin "nanosheets" that could dramatically improve imaging technology used in everything from cell phone cameras, video cameras, solar cells, and medical imaging equipment.
Related: Inexpensive approach speeds photodetector used in medical imaging
The work would also be cost-effective to implement: The ultrathin indium selenide (In2Se3)-based photodetectors use less material because they consist of nano-sized components that are highly efficient at detecting light in real time. As a result, the technology can be included in a wide variety of everyday devices, including smartphones that are often used to take pictures, but suffer from limitations in low-light environments.
"Currently, the sensors in digital cameras cannot take quality images under low-light conditions. For example, taking a good picture in a dimly lit room requires a long exposure, which often results in a blurred image," says Robin Jacobs-Gedrim, CNSE research assistant. "Future cameras based on these nanosheet photodetectors may be able to provide a robust, real-time picture in even the most extreme low-light conditions."
Jacobs-Gedrim adds that their work could also lead to next-generation applications such as making solar panels more efficient, scientific instruments more precise, and medical imaging equipment more accurate.
Full details of the work appear in the journal ACS Nano; for more information, please visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/nn405037s.
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