2015 International Conference on Optoelectronics and Microelectronics (ICOM)

Study on Measurement Method of Luminous Intensity

Based on the Third Generation Low Light Level
Image Intensifier
WANG Rui,BAI Xiao-feng

WANG Rui,BAI Xiao-feng

Science and Technology on Low-Light-Level Night Vision

Laboratory,
Xian 710065, China

North Night-Vision Science & Technology Group Co.,

Kunming 650223, China
Shannxi Xian China
be obvious lag. In order to facilitate the wild night sky
intensity measurement, the method makes use of the
generation LLL image intensifier sensitivity high,
response speed and convenient to measure the
intensity[3]. This method is fast, stable, accurate
convenient.

AbstractThis paper analyzed the technical characteristics of

GaAs photocathode electrode with high sensitivity. Through
measuring the output current of micro channel plate, the relation
between incident light intensity and output current is summarized.
Besides, we proposed the light intensity measurement method for
the third generation low light level (LLL) image intensifier. By
comparing our method with the method of measuring the intensity
of the photoelectric multiplier tube, our method has the advantages
of high sensitivity, fast response, independent of temperature, and
measurement simplicity. The results indicate implicit linearity
between micro channel plate and intensity of light under 10-4~10-1lx
environment. It verifies the validness of our method.

II.

INTRODUCTION (HEADING 1)

According to the different weather conditions, the

illumination of night environment distributed in 10-4~10lx
magnitude range. Ordinary illuminance meter generally can
only measure to 0.01lx magnitude around, can not meet the
requirements of environmental illuminance at night[1-2].
Currently, weak light illumination meter is mainly measured
by the photoelectric multiplier tube as the probe. The
shortcomings of the illuminance meter: the photomultiplier
tube relatively large size and the glass shell is fragile and need
high voltage power supply. These disadvantages cause its use
inconvenient,and when the incident light changes, there will

Illumination

Photoelect
ric sensor

PRINCIPLE AND METHOD OF INTENSITY MEASUREMENT

The international unit of the luminous intensity is candela

(cd), which is defined as the 555nm wavelength of
monochromatic radiation, when the radiation intensity of
1/683W/sr in a given direction, the luminous intensity is 1cd.
The illumination is the luminous flux irradiates to a unit
surface area[4-5]. Therefore, in the same environment, the
measurement of the luminous intensity can be equivalent to the
measurement of the illumination.

Keywords-component; The third generation LLL image

intensifier, Intensity measurement, Weak illumination

I.

A.

Luminousintensity measurement principle

The basic principle of the luminous intensity measurement
is to convert optical quantity into electrical quantity, and then
enlarge the indirect measurement[6]. Namely, the photoelectric
sensor generates the photocurrent in the light of the photo, and
then amplified the current into the voltage, then the intensity
can be measured indirectly by measuring the voltage.

Transform

Amplify
Current

Calibrate
Voltage

Luminous
intensity

Fig. 1 block diagram of intensity measurement

978-1-4673-7462-0/15/$31.00 2015 IEEE

light
third
fast
light
and

448

Jul. 16-18, 2015

2015 International Conference on Optoelectronics and Microelectronics (ICOM)

Eye has a different sensitivity to light of different

wavelengths. The spectral response of photoelectric sensor
should be consistent with the spectral luminous efficiency of
human eye. Because the peak wavelength of GaAs time is
around 800nm, the spectral optical efficiency is not matched
with the human eye. In order to measure the correct
illumination value, add a filter in front of the third generation
LLL image intensifier photocathode, the spectral response of
the GaAs is matched with the International Commission on
illumination (CIE) for the visual optical efficiency of the
visual spectrum[7]. After correction, the correlation between
the relative spectral response of the GaAs S() photocathode
and the spectral luminous efficiency V() is shown in Figure
2.

B. Photoelectric Sensors
Commonly used photometric detector includes photocell,
photodiode, photomultiplier tube in photometric measurement
systems. Photocell and photodiode are generally used for high
illuminance measurements. Photomultiplier tube is generally
used for low-light measurements. The multiplication of the
conventional multiplier tube is based on the multi polar
discrete electron bombardment, and the secondary emission is
enlarged, so the capacity of the large volume, high noise, and
the ability to detect weak signals is affected. [8]. The third
generation LLL image intensifier as intensity measuring
device, due to the negative electron affinity potential of GaAs
photocathode material, so it has higher sensitivity, faster
response speed, lower noise and photoelectric multiplier tube
compared. And the GaAs optical detection material is
relatively light batteries and photodiodes are not sensitive to
temperature, nighttime environment in general, a more
accurate measurement.
Chart.1 Comparison of the photomultiplier tube and the third generation
LLL image intensifier

Parameter

Photomultip
lier tube

Cathode
sensitivity
A/lm

200

1400

106~107

104

Response
speedns

1~20

0.1~0.3

Range of
detectionlx

10-6~105

10-5~102

Gain
Fig.2 The correlation between the relative spectral response of the GaAs
photocathode S() and the spectral luminous efficiency V()

Although the V() correction filter is added in the front

of the cathode, the matching results are still not completely
consistent with the V(), which is called the matching error.
Generally, the degree of deviation from V() is described by
the following equation.

C.

Illuminance measurements
The weak light environment through modified filter into
the GaAs photocathode of the third generation LLL image
intensifier, which produce photoelectric effect, excite
electrons, through a micro channel plate (MCP) doubled, to
reach the screen, and then through an external circuit in a
micro channel formed between the plate and the loop current
screen, and then through the amplifier circuit amplifying
micro channel plate current and output voltage, that is, the
illuminance value after calibration, shown in Fig 3.

780 s* ( ) V ( ) d
rel

100%
f1 = 380
780

380V ( )

Type s

( )rel

the third
generation LLL
image intensifier

as the standard (normalized) relative

spectral responsiveness.
780

s ( ) V ( )d s( )
s ( ) =
s ( ) s( ) d
s A ( ) is the relative spectral power distribution of
2856K light source, s( )rel is the relative spectral responsivity
*

rel

380
780

380

Illumination

rel

Electronics
GaAs
photocathode

Filter

MCP
multiplication

rel

Calibrate
Illumination

Transform
Voltage

MCP current

while take any point as a standard.

Fig.3 Illumination measurement method

978-1-4673-7462-0/15/$31.00 2015 IEEE

449

Jul. 16-18, 2015

2015 International Conference on Optoelectronics and Microelectronics (ICOM)

III.

IV.

EXPERIMENT

In order to verify the feasibility of the intensity

measurement methods based on the third generation LLL
image intensifier. In the weak light reference device, the output
current of the micro channel plate is measured, and the
relationship between the output current of the light intensity
and the micro channel plate is obtained, as shown in Fig 4.

CONCLUSIONS

The measurement method based on the third generation

LLL image intensifier can meet various environmental
illumination at night environment illumination range. The
technical characteristics of GaAs Photocathode with high
sensitivity, through the measurement of the output current of
the micro channel plate, we get the corresponding relationship
between the incident light intensity and output current, proved
the intensity measurement method that take the third generation
LLL image intensifier as photometric probe luminous is
feasible.
REFERENCES
[1]
[2]
[3]

[4]
[5]
[6]
Fig.4 The correlation between environmental illumination and output current of
micro channel plate

[7]

As can be seen in the 10-3~10-1lx illuminance range, micro

channel plate current and ambient illumination conform to the
linear relationship basically. Outside of this range, it does not
fully conform to the linear growth, but can be used algorithm to
compensate, that satisfies the linear relationship in the range.

978-1-4673-7462-0/15/$31.00 2015 IEEE

[8]

450

XIANG Shi-ming, NI Guoqiang. The principle of photoelectronic image

devices[M].Beijing: National Defense Press, 1999.
PAN Jing-sheng. Improvement of image inverters contrast transfer
performance[J]. Journal of Applied Optics, 2006, 27(1):62-65.
WANG Ling-ling. Probe into the method of increasing the resolution
ratio of fiber-optical inverter unit[J].Sci/Tech Information
Development&Economy, 2002,12(3):105-106.
JIN Weiqi, BAI Tingzhu. Photo imaging principle and technology [M].
Beijing Institute of Technology press, 2006
WU Zhong-fan. Infrared and low level light technology [M]. Xian:
Xidian University, 2004.
Miller, CC. and Ohno, Y. Luminous Intensity Measurement of LED at
NIST. Proceedings of 2nd CIE Expert symposium on LED
Measurement, Gaithersburg, MD, 2001.
Cao Yuansheng. Development of a wide range of weak light intensity
meter [J]. practical testing technology, 1996,01:19-21+14.
Jiang hua, Zhou yuanyuan. Study on the structure and performance of
the photo multiplier tube [J]. Ship Electronic Engineering, 2009,01:193196.

Jul. 16-18, 2015