SBIR Phase II: THz Imaging Focal Plane Array

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目是开发用于太赫兹图像的高分辨率焦平面阵列。太赫兹辐射在很大程度上是光谱中一个尚未探索的领域，但它有很大的希望通过衣服、包装和行李墙壁(安全应用)，以及它能够根据爆炸物、非法药物和药品等复杂分子的组成和构象激发共振分子运动(成像光谱学)。目前的非制冷探测器技术在其检测太赫兹辐射和视频帧速率方面是微不足道的。这项工作的预期结果是：(1)在高达250赫兹的帧速率下，噪声限制辐射探测能力提高20-40倍；(2)一种低成本制造全波长焦平面阵列的新技术；(3)高性能太赫兹焦平面阵列。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to develop a high-resolution focal plane array for terahertz imagery. THz radiation is a largely unexplored region of the spectrum, but holds great promise for its ability to pass through clothing, packaging and baggage walls (security applications) and for its ability to excite resonant molecular motions according to the composition and conformation of complex molecules such as explosives, illegal drugs and pharmaceuticals (imaging spectroscopy). Present uncooled detector technology is marginal in its ability to sense THz radiation and in video frame rate. The anticipated results of this work are to demonstrate: (1) a 20 to 40 times improvement in noise-limited radiation detection at operation up to 250 Hz frame rate; (2) a new technique for very low cost manufacture of all-wavelength focal plane arrays; and (3) a high-performance THz focal plane array.