Swedish researchers create scientific camera that reaches 5 trillion fps

Scientists at the Swedish University of Lund have developed a computational camera capable of shooting 5 trillion frames per second. This makes it possible to visualize extremely fast processes at the molecular level.

The camera is able to image events that last 0.2 trillionth of a second. According to the makers, this makes it the fastest camera in the world. This enormous speed makes it possible to visualize chemical, physical and biological processes that could not be recorded until now due to their extremely short duration.

The camera has been given the name Frame. Unlike a regular camera, where the shutter opens and closes, the Swedish researchers’ camera uses a laser. The photographed object reflects the light. Each light pulse from the laser is assigned a unique code. A single image is composed of the information from multiple light pulses.

A computer can split that image into multiple images through the encoded information. The split frames are then combined with an algorithm into a video with a very high number of frames per second. This is possible because the images no longer have to be taken one by one with this technology.

In a demonstration video, the scientists show how light, consisting of a collection of photons, travels the distance that corresponds to the thickness of ‘a piece of paper’. That takes a picosecond, but with the camera it can be delayed a trillion times.

According to one of the researchers, extremely fast processes such as combustion, explosions, brain activity in animals and chemical reactions can be better visualized with this camera. Combustion involves a number of extremely fast processes at the molecular level, which can now be better captured on camera. The insights from this could ultimately lead to, for example, better car engines and gas turbines that are more energy-efficient. It should also become better possible to study the quantum state of subatomic particles, for example.

The researchers think the camera will be available to other scientists in two years. At the moment, a German company has made a prototype. Ultimately, this technology must also become usable for industrial use.