Notable Questions, Funny and Serious

Some notable image sensor-related questions that I've seen recently on the net:

On a popular edaboard.com forum user xihuwang asks:

"need cmos image sensor expert's help
Hi ,
Anyone can teach me how to design pixel ( using pinned photodiode) and timing control, and analog process chain to get pixel bin function ( change resolution 1/4) ?
Thanks forwards !
"

DPReview forum has an interesting question on whether the photon shot noise is fundamental. User Detail Man points to Encyclopedia of Laser Physics and Technology article on shot noise discussing a rarely mentioned Amplitude-squeezed Light sources that get lower intensity light variations at the expense of an increase in phase noise. That way a sub-shot-noise light can be generated. Most of the referred squeezed light papers are from 80s - sort of esoteric knowledge now.

Phase space
representation of
amplitude-squeezed light.

Leaving aside the limitations of the squeezed light sources, the sensor QE needs to be close to 100% in order to not re-introduce the shot noise in the process of photon absorption. Anyway, it's an interesting way to push the seemingly fundamental limit.