Haidet Achieves 2 Billion Frames Per Second Camera Recording

Haidet has developed a camera system capable of recording at a rate of 2 billion frames per second (fps), allowing for the visualization of light’s movement.

The system utilizes a high-powered laser beam redirected by a series of mirrors. The laser path involves repeated reflections between parallel mirrors, with ambient fog particles scattering the light and enabling a sensor to capture its movement. Previously, Haidet achieved 1 billion fps in 2023. This new record required a complete redesign, incorporating more precise motors, enhanced optical components, and real-time data processing software.

The camera’s placement influences the perceived speed of the light; when positioned behind the laser, the outgoing light appears to move slowly, while the reflected light seems to return almost instantaneously. This is due to the proximity of particles reflecting light directly into the sensor.

Conventional methods for recording full-frame images at 2 billion fps are currently impractical. Haidet’s solution involves a small mirror mounted on a gimbal, directing the laser light to a single, highly sensitive sensor. Each scan records only a single pixel, which are then combined to form a complete image. The system effectively mimics a camera with thousands of sensors.

To achieve this level of precision, Haidet replaced standard servo motors with high-resolution encoders and timing belts, allowing for mirror movement control with a precision of one-thousandth of a degree. The system’s electronic infrastructure includes a photomultiplier tube (PMT) converting photons to electrical signals, transmitted to an oscilloscope with 2 billion samples per second via coaxial cables. Haidet reduced noise by transmitting the PMT synchronization pulse along the same cable, carefully timing the signals to prevent interference. While the system doesn’t record a traditional “full frame,” it successfully generates a continuous image resembling a true 2 billion fps camera.