Intelligent Single-Photon Sensing and Imaging
A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Sensing and Imaging".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 February 2026 | Viewed by 12
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Over the past decade, single-photon detection technology has entered a transformative era, evolving from specialized laboratory instruments to integrated, high-performance sensing systems, and has reached a mature stage of development. Devices like Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) and Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors (SNSPDs) now offer unprecedented capabilities, including picosecond timing resolution, high detection efficiency, and low noise.
However, the next frontier in this field lies not merely in improving detector hardware but in the profound synergy between single-photon sensors and intelligent computing functionalities. This Special Issue is dedicated to exploring the convergence and integration of three key pillars: (a) cutting-edge single-photon detection hardware, (b) advanced computational algorithms, and (c) the emergence of optoelectronic neuromorphic computing and sensing.
The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:
- Intelligent single-photon sensing and imaging accelerated by advanced computational algorithms: We seek articles that focus on the growing synergy between single-photon detection hardware and advanced algorithms, from computational reconstruction and other machine learning methods to the novel concept of geometric deep optical sensing.
- Intelligent single-photon sensor and imager as novel computing platforms: We seek articles that focus on the emerging synergy between single-photon detection hardware and photonic neuromorphic computing and sensing. Leveraging the unique threshold-type operation principles, single-photon detectors can function as artificial neurons and synaptic devices for energy-efficient information processing and in- or near-sensor edge computing.
We invite contributions that are shaping the future of intelligent single-photon sensing systems, capable not only of detecting photons but also of understanding them.
Dr. Zhe Li
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD)
- superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD)
- CMOS single-photon sensors
- system-on-chip (SoC) imagers
- photon counting
- computational imaging and reconstruction
- photonic and optoelectronic neuromorphic computing
- optoelectronic in-sensor computing
- photonic quantum computing
- deep learning
- spiking neural networks
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