Active high-resolution imaging technology using single-photon echo signals to eliminate diffusion in MCP-based image sensors

•Single-photon echo signals removed diffusion phenomenon in MCP-based image sensors.•Weighting algorithm and sub-pixel method processed single-photon echo signals.•The diffusion phenomenon was removed to reconstruct a high-resolution target image.•Laser active imaging quality improved in a high electronic gain environment. Image sensors based on microchannel plates (MCPs) have important applications as array image sensors owing to their high sensitivity and wide field of view, and because no scanning is required. When MCP-based image sensors, such as ICCD and ICMOS, are used for laser-active imaging, severe diffusion phenomenon occurs due to high electronic gain, and this significantly affects the resulting image quality. This study uses single-photon echo signals to remove the diffusion phenomenon in MCP-based image sensors. A laser-active imaging system based on a MCP image sensor produces single-photon echo signals of the target. The single-photon echo signals are then processed using a weighting algorithm and sub-pixel method, which effectively remove the diffusion phenomenon and reconstruct a high-resolution image of the target. Therefore, when the MCP-based image sensor operates in a high-electronic-gain environment, this method improves the quality of laser-active imaging. The study shows that the method can improve the image resolution obtained by a MCP-based image sensor to 25.51 lp/mm in high-electronic-gain conditions.