Singular Photonics has officially launched from stealth mode, introducing a new generation of image sensors based on single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs).
Image Credit: KPixMining/Shutterstock.com
Spun out from the University of Edinburgh and led by digital imaging pioneer Professor Robert Henderson, the company is among the first to integrate advanced computation directly into SPAD-based image sensing. This approach enables in-pixel and cross-pixel storage and processing at extremely low light levels, revealing previously undetectable details of photon interactions.
Singular Photonics will debut its products next week at SPIE Photonics West in San Francisco.
SPAD sensors leverage the “avalanche” effect in semiconductors to convert light into an electrical current without requiring cooling or amplification. While most commercial SPAD sensors have been limited to time-resolved photon counting, Singular’s innovation integrates complex computational layers beneath 3D-stacked SPAD sensors. This breakthrough is comparable to how FPGAs and GPUs transformed parallel computing through high-speed, localized processing.
Professor Henderson, who leads the University of Edinburgh’s CMOS Sensors and Systems Group, has been at the forefront of SPAD technology for nearly two decades. In 2005, he designed one of the first SPAD image sensors in nanometer CMOS technology, leading to the development of the first time-of-flight sensors in 2013—now widely used for autofocus assist in over a billion smartphones worldwide.
There can be no doubt that SPAD sensors are the future of digital imaging, but their use to date in commercial devices hasn’t extended much beyond time-resolved counting of photons. Computational cleverness can be the difference. We are building next-generation imaging sensors, where the computation is done digitally at the pixel level – exactly where the photons arrive.
Robert Henderson, Professor, University of Edinburgh
By simultaneously capturing depth and temporal data to generate 4D images, Singular’s noiseless sensors extract more information from light, supporting applications across consumer electronics, automotive technology, scientific research, and medical imaging. The company’s approach transforms SPAD sensors into 3D-stacked computational engines capable of performing sophisticated tasks such as real-time photon counting, timing, and in-pixel statistical analysis.
Singular is launching with two commercially available sensors:
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Andarta, developed in collaboration with Meta, features a compact design with high sensitivity, making it ideal for various medical imaging applications. The sensor supports multiple modes of operation, including in-pixel autocorrelation, and brings SPAD technology closer to integration in wearables. One key application is monitoring cerebral blood flow by detecting rapid fluctuations in light as it passes through tissue—at depths not achievable with existing sensors.
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Sirona, Singular’s first product, is a 512-pixel SPAD-based line sensor designed for time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC). It enables applications such as Raman spectroscopy, fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), time-of-flight imaging, and quantum computing. With on-chip histogramming and time binning, Sirona has the potential to significantly advance spectroscopy technologies.
Singular Photonics has already secured multiple partnerships with leading instrumentation companies and anticipates further collaborations in 2025.
We are in a unique position where we already have commercially available products and are generating revenue in our first year of incorporation. With new, even more advanced sensors coming to the market in 2025, we are well positioned to lead the SPAD-driven imaging revolution.
Shahida Imani, Chief Executive Officer, Singular Photonics