From Étendue to the Lowest Fundamental SNR: Pixel Étendue (Optogeometric Factor) Interpreted as Mode Count

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Sova, Jan, Kolaříková, Marie
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2025
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author Sova, Jan
Kolaříková, Marie
author_facet Sova, Jan
Kolaříková, Marie
contents The optogeometric factor, recently introduced as a pixel level form of étendue, quantifies the spatial angular throughput of a detector element. In this work its interpretation is extended by identifying optogeometric factor with the number of accessible optical modes per pixel. This mode based perspective establishes a direct link between radiometric throughput and quantum photon statistics. By combining optogeometric factor with the Bose Einstein distribution, an estimate of the lowest achievable signal to noise ratio (SNR) at the pixel level is derived. Explicit formulas are presented in both scene-based and sensor based forms, showing how the minimal SNR depends on aperture geometry, pixel pitch, f-number, wavelength, and source temperature. This formulation provides a compact and physically transparent benchmark for evaluating imaging sensors against the lowest expected quantum noise limit.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_19434
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle From Étendue to the Lowest Fundamental SNR: Pixel Étendue (Optogeometric Factor) Interpreted as Mode Count
Sova, Jan
Kolaříková, Marie
Quantum Physics
Instrumentation and Detectors
Optics
The optogeometric factor, recently introduced as a pixel level form of étendue, quantifies the spatial angular throughput of a detector element. In this work its interpretation is extended by identifying optogeometric factor with the number of accessible optical modes per pixel. This mode based perspective establishes a direct link between radiometric throughput and quantum photon statistics. By combining optogeometric factor with the Bose Einstein distribution, an estimate of the lowest achievable signal to noise ratio (SNR) at the pixel level is derived. Explicit formulas are presented in both scene-based and sensor based forms, showing how the minimal SNR depends on aperture geometry, pixel pitch, f-number, wavelength, and source temperature. This formulation provides a compact and physically transparent benchmark for evaluating imaging sensors against the lowest expected quantum noise limit.
title From Étendue to the Lowest Fundamental SNR: Pixel Étendue (Optogeometric Factor) Interpreted as Mode Count
topic Quantum Physics
Instrumentation and Detectors
Optics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.19434