Abstract
The impact of dark 1/f noise on fundamental signal sensitivity in direct low optical signal detection is an understudied issue. In this theoretical manuscript, we study the limitations of an idealized detector with a combination of white noise and 1/f noise, operating in detector dark noise limited mode. In contrast to white noise limited detection schemes, for which there is no fundamental minimum signal sensitivity limit, we find that the 1/f noise characteristics, including the noise exponent factor and the relative amplitudes of white and 1/f noise, set a fundamental limit on the minimum signal that such a detector can detect.
Highlights
The ability to detect very low amplitude optical signals is important and relevant in a variety of measurement scenarios
For α
We derive the signal to noise ratio that corresponds to a simple thought experiment, designed to detect the presence of a small signal buried in detector noise
Summary
The ability to detect very low amplitude optical signals is important and relevant in a variety of measurement scenarios. For an ideal measurement system that contains only white noise sources, it is possible to measure any arbitrarily small signal by increasing the integration time of the detection system. This may not be possible in certain situations due to the presence of 1/f noise. In this manuscript, we will theoretically determine the detection limit imposed by 1/f noise, dark 1/f noise, in direct low optical signal detection schemes
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