Smartphone scene generator for efficient characterization of visible imaging detectors

TL;DR

This paper introduces a smartphone-based scene generator capable of creating complex, high-resolution optical scenes with high dynamic range and stability, facilitating efficient detector characterization without moving parts.

Contribution

It presents a novel, low-cost smartphone-based system for generating customizable optical scenes for detector testing, combining high resolution, dynamic range, and stability.

Findings

Achieves high spatial resolution of 13 μm

Provides high dynamic range (~10^4)

Maintains stable illumination over days

Abstract

Full characterization of imaging detectors involves subjecting them to spatially and temporally varying illumination patterns over a large dynamic range. Here we present a scene generator that fulfills many of these functions. Based on a modern smartphone, it has a number of good features, including the ability to generate nearly arbitrary optical scenes, high spatial resolution (13 um), high dynamic range (~10^4), near-Poisson limited illumination stability over time periods from 100 ms to many days, and no background noise. The system does not require any moving parts and may be constructed at modest cost. We present the optical, mechanical, and software design, test data validating the performance, and application examples.