Method and device for time-gated amplification of photons

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the selective amplification of signal photons of a signal pulse (4) in a desired time window. For this purpose, the signal photons (4) are passed through an activated amplification medium (1), where amplification takes place by induced emissions. The amplification is terminated at a desired point in time by the irradiation of a quench pulse (7). Optionally, the start of amplification can be determined by an irradiated pump pulse (8). Emissions that are not correlated with the signal pulse (4) can be suppressed by means of a spectral filter (2). Furthermore, an intensity filter such as a saturable absorber (3) can suppress unamplified fractions of the emission (5) leaving the amplification medium (1). Applications of the method include medical optical imaging and tomography by transillumination with time-gated detection of ballistic photons.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.