Detector for optically detecting at least one object

A method for determining a position of at least one object by using at least one detector, the method comprising the following steps:

• (i) providing at least two optical sensors, each optical sensor comprising a light-sensitive area, wherein each light-sensitive area comprises a geometrical center, wherein the geometrical centers of the at least two optical sensors are spaced apart from an optical axis of the at least one detector by different separations, and wherein each optical sensor is configured to generate a sensor signal in response to an illumination of its respective light-sensitive area by a light;
• (ii) illuminating the at least two light-sensitive areas of the at least two optical sensors of the at least one detector with a light beam propagating from the at least one object to the at least one detector and, thereby, generating at least two sensor signals, wherein each of the at least two sensor signals comprises at least one information of at least one area of the beam profile of at least one beam profile of the light beam;
• and
• (iii) evaluating the sensor signals by combining the at least two sensor signals, thereby determining at least one longitudinal coordinate z of the at least one object,
• wherein the light-sensitive areas are arranged such that a first sensor signal comprises information of a first area of the beam profile, and a second sensor signal comprises information of a second area of the beam profile, wherein the first area of the beam profile and the second area of the beam profile are one or both of adjacent or overlapping regions, wherein the first area of the beam profile comprises essentially edge information of the beam profile and the second area of the beam profile comprises essentially center information of the beam profile,
• wherein evaluating the sensor signals comprises deriving at least one quotient signal Q by one or more of dividing the sensor signals, dividing multiples of the sensor signals and dividing linear combinations of the sensor signals, and
• wherein determining at least one longitudinal coordinate z comprises evaluating the at least one quotient signal Q.