PFI:AIR - TT: Highly Sensitive Eye-safe Flash LiDARs based on Nanoinjection Detectors

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This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on improving the 3-dimensional (3D) imaging of structures. 3D imaging has applications in environmental mapping, ecological characterization, robots and automation, medical imaging, areal mapping, and defense. This project will use electron injection detectors developed at Northwestern to develop a 3D imaging technique that can be accomplished without moving parts, using laser illuminated detection and ranging (LIDAR) large detector arrays ("flash LIDAR"). Most current LIDAR systems use a small number of avalanche detectors and mechanical scanning methods to produce an image. Electron injection detectors, as proposed here, offer a promising alternative to avalanche detectors because they require less voltage and use less power, and can be made into large two-dimensional arrays. If successful, the proposed work could lead to "staring" LIDAR systems, which do not need mechanical scanning and produce a high-resolution 3D image in one shot. The system would be smaller, lighter and lower cost than existing 3D imaging systems with mechanical scanning. These improvements could enable 3D imagers to become as ubiquitous as digital cameras are today. This project addresses the following technology gap as it translates from research discovery toward commercial application: increasing the speed of electron injection detectors to enhance the ranging resolution. While the current devices are fast, they do not demonstrate gigahertz (GHz) speed. One of the limitations in achieving this speed is the parasitic capacitances, which will be addressed as part of the research effort. Also, high-bandwidth trans-impedance amplifiers will be used, an improvement over current existing voltage amplifiers. In addition to the PI, co-PI, and the personnel from sub-contracting company, there will be one graduate student who will receive significant technical training. The student will also learn directly from the commercialization work planned for the project, and from entrepreneurship courses offered by the McCormick School of Engineering. The project engages Michigan Aerospace, which has significant expertise in LIDAR system, to help identify the best tradeoff between different design parameter in this technology translation effort from research discovery toward commercial reality.