Engineers at the INRS Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications Research Centre in Canada have unveiled the world's fastest camera, capable of shooting at an astounding rate of 156.3 trillion frames per second (fps).

Engineers Unveil the World's Fastest Camera

While slow-motion features on smartphones typically operate at a few hundred fps, professional cinematic cameras may reach a few thousand fps for smoother footage. However, to delve into events at the nanoscale, one must slow down considerably, to billions or even trillions of frames per second.

The newly developed camera boasts the ability to capture events occurring within femtoseconds, which are quadrillionths of a second. 

The breakthrough was led by Jinyang Liang, a Professor at INRS, and his research team. Their work showcases the development of an ultrafast camera system capable of capturing up to 156.3 trillion frames per second with remarkable precision. 

This achievement enables 2D optical imaging of ultrafast demagnetization in a single shot, a feat previously unattainable.

All About the SCARF

The system, dubbed SCARF (swept-coded aperture real-time femtophotography), represents a significant advancement in the field of ultrafast imaging. 

It allows for the observation of transient absorption in semiconductors and ultrafast demagnetization of metal alloys, opening doors for exploration in physics, biology, chemistry, materials science, and engineering, according to the research team.

The researchers claim that professor Liang's expertise in ultrafast imaging has garnered global recognition. His previous work in 2018 laid the foundation for SCARF, addressing limitations in existing ultrafast camera systems. 

While past approaches involved sequentially capturing frames one by one, this method posed challenges in observing non-repeatable or ultrafast phenomena. 

Professor Jinyang identifies limitations in current observation methods, citing examples such as femtosecond laser ablation, shock-wave interaction with living cells, and optical chaos. 

Addressing these challenges, he developed the T-CUP system, capable of capturing ten trillion frames per second, representing a significant advancement in real-time imaging. Nonetheless, challenges in the field remain.

"Many systems based on compressed ultrafast photography have to cope with degraded data quality and have to trade the sequence depth of the field of view. These limitations are attributable to the operating principle, which requires simultaneously shearing the scene and the coded aperture," Miguel Marquez, postdoctoral fellow and co-first author of the study, said in a press release statement.

SCARF represents a departure from these limitations. Unlike previous systems, it employs an imaging modality that allows for ultrafast sweeping of a static coded aperture without shearing the ultrafast phenomenon. 

This advancement enables full-sequence encoding rates of up to 156.3 THz to individual pixels on a camera, providing unparalleled insights into unique phenomena.

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Beyond Scientific Exploration

The implications of SCARF extend beyond scientific exploration. The technology holds promise for economic spin-offs, with companies like Axis Photonique and Few-Cycle collaborating with Professor Liang's team to commercialize their patent-pending discovery. 

This partnership not only furthers Quebec's position as a leader in photonics but also presents opportunities for advancements in pharmaceuticals and medical treatments, according to the researchers.

The findings of the team were published in the journal Nature Communications. 

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