Litavis sensor unifies imaging, timing, and photon stats on one chip

Singular Photonics has launched Litavis, a SPAD sensor unifying imaging, timing, histogramming, and photon statistics on a single chip. The new sensor employs in-pixel processing to deliver programmable multi-modal capabilities and accelerate development cycles for imaging applications. “Litavis combines the sensitivity advantages of SPAD technology with the adaptability and scalability increasingly required by modern multimodal imaging,” said Shahida Imani, CEO of Singular Photonics. “It condenses these into one intelligent sensor, enabling a new generation of imaging systems built on a single, configurable platform.”

SPAD-Based Litavis Unifies Imaging, Timing, and Statistics On-Chip

Litavis achieves simultaneous intensity, timing, and histogramming modes, a capability previously unavailable in SPAD sensors, allowing for comprehensive data capture without requiring hardware adjustments between measurements. The 256×256 pixel sensor delivers photon-counting imaging even in low-light conditions, while a 64×64 macropixel grid generates time-stamped photon events with picosecond resolution alongside full-resolution photon counts. This parallel data stream provides both spatial and temporal information, reducing the need for external processing and enabling applications demanding high precision.

The sensor’s architecture integrates digital photon processing directly onto the chip and within each pixel, extracting scene information like depth, timing, and event characteristics. Singular Photonics designed Litavis with a software-configurable sensing architecture, allowing users to dynamically adapt sensor parameters without redesigning hardware; this flexibility accelerates development cycles and reduces system complexity for diverse imaging applications, the company says.

By processing photon events on-chip, Litavis minimizes the volume of raw data needing external transfer and processing, a critical advantage for bandwidth-constrained applications. This integration is expected to broaden the scope of SPAD technology beyond traditional applications like LiDAR and fluorescence microscopy.

Configurable Pixel Array Enables Multimodal Photon Processing

Beyond standard photon counting, Litavis supports multi-event timing, enabling individual time-binning of multiple detected photons per excitation cycle, and in-pixel histogramming. These features unlock access to temporal statistics beyond conventional intensity measurements, supporting applications like fluorescence lifetime imaging, dynamic light scattering, and quantum sensing. The company explains that “Litavis is a CMOS SPAD-based imaging sensor platform built on an architecture that combines single-photon sensitivity with integrated digital photon processing directly on-chip and in-pixel,” highlighting the sensor’s core design principles.

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