Single photon detection camera

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With the iXonEM+ 897, Andor is said to have produced a dedicated, compact platform, designed specifically to get the best from electron multiplying CCD (EMCCD) technology. EMCCD technology is an innovative approach for amplifying very low light signals above the read noise floor of the CCD, which would otherwise set the detection limit of the system, while harnessing the full quantum efficiency (QE) of the silicon sensors.

iXon features include:

• Single photon signals are amplified above the noise floor. The full QE of the CCD chip is harnessed (no intensifier)
• RealGain: absolute EMCCD gain is selectable directly from a linear and quantitative scale
• TE cooling down to -100 °C (-85 °C fan cooled): critical for elimination of darkcurrent detection limit
• Up to greater than 90% QE: maximum possible photon collection efficiency
• Reduced noise: to enable higher dynamic range
• Claimed lowest clock-induced charge (spurious noise): essential for true photon-counting capability
• Anti-ageing: internally configured to significantly inhibit saturation-induced decay of EMCCD gain
• EMCALTM: self-recalibration of EM gain, based on Andor’s RealGain implementation
• Variable readout rates up to 35 MHz: quantitative accuracy at all speeds: 35 full frames/sec possible. Slower readout rate for enhanced 16-bit dynamic range
• Claimed fastest vertical shift speeds: fastest frame rates available. Minimal smear with short exposures
• UltraVac: proprietary vacuum process, critical for sustained vacuum integrity and cooling, year after year

Applications include: single molecule microscopy, live cell microscopy (including confocal), calcium signalling, transport/motile imaging, intracellular bioluminescence, fluorescence microscopy, photon counting, lucky astronomy, adoptive optics, Bose-Einstein condensation/Ion trapping, single molecule detection/nanotechnology, neutron tomography, X-ray/gamma tomography, plasma diagnostics, raman detection.