Singular Photonics’ Litavis SPAD Sensor combines photon counting, timing and on-chip analysis

Singular Photonics has introduced Litavis, a CMOS single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) image sensor that integrates multiple photon-level functions onto one programmable chip. The design brings together intensity imaging, precise photon timing, histogramming and photon-statistics processing, targeting imaging systems that require both spatial and temporal photon information.

Litavis combines photon counting (intensity) and time-resolved measurements (photon timing) with on-chip histogramming and photon-statistics operations. Rather than treating the sensor solely as a pixel array that streams raw hits off-chip, the platform supports programmable processing of single-photon events and temporal data directly on the CMOS die.

Why this matters for imaging systems

Litavis is positioned for advanced imaging systems where timing and photon statistics matter. Examples implied by the capability set include time-of-flight and lidar, low-light imaging and other applications that need single-photon sensitivity combined with temporal analysis. The integration of histogramming and statistics processing on-chip targets system designs that want to minimize off-chip data movement and post-processing.

Moving histogramming and statistics processing onto the sensor reduces the bandwidth and processing burden downstream. Camera builders can offload early-stage temporal aggregation and event filtering to the sensor, freeing host processors to handle higher-level functions or lowering the required external compute. The programmable approach also supports iteration during development: firmware updates on the sensor platform can alter processing behaviour without redesigning hardware.

What the announcement does not specify

The published summary highlights the architecture and intended capabilities but does not list numerical sensor specifications such as pixel count, timing resolution, dynamic range, power consumption or package options. System designers evaluating Litavis will need those particulars and implementation examples to assess fit for specific products.

Litavis packages multimodal photon-level processing—counting, timing, histogramming and statistics—into a single CMOS SPAD sensor with a programmable architecture. For product teams building time-resolved or low-light imaging systems, the sensor offers a route to shift early temporal analysis on-chip and reduce downstream data and compute requirements. Concrete design decisions will require the detailed specs and reference materials Singular Photonics provides to developers.