TeraVid - A THz camera for Security & Border Protection Applications

卡迪夫大学的研究人员开发了一种新型的安全摄像头，工作在非常长的波长上，基于最初为天文学应用开发的极其敏感的探测器和滤光片。成立了一家衍生公司Sequestim Ltd，将该技术商业化，用于航空和城市空间安全以及边境保护市场。与Sequestim Ltd合作，制造了一台原型相机。这在卡迪夫机场被证明是一种真实的时间扫描乘客的新方法，而不需要他们站着不动，“保持姿势”。这款摄像机还在卡车扫描应用中向边境保护机构进行了演示，展示了在高速公路上扫描软边卡车以寻找隐藏乘客的能力。但原型摄像机在商业应用方面存在一些障碍。它有一个超导探测器的线性阵列，必须在目标区域进行扫描，以建立图像。探测器需要冷却到250 mK左右，需要一个昂贵的基于氦-3的冷却系统。全球氦-3短缺，这对供应链构成风险。原型扫描光学系统又大又笨重，使仪器的整体尺寸增加了一倍，并且存在可靠性问题。该提案解决了原型的所有问题。我们将开发基于在更高温度下工作的新超导材料系统的大型探测器阵列。这将使昂贵和危险的氦-3系统得以完全拆除。此外，大型阵列将完全填充焦平面，从而允许移除扫描系统，并允许更紧凑和光学上上级的轴上折射光学器件。去除任何扫描也大大提高了仪器的灵敏度，这意味着探测器将以仅受撞击它们的光子到达率的统计变化限制的灵敏度工作。我们将把新的探测器阵列集成到与Sequestim Ltd.合作建造的新相机系统中。该相机系统将代表最灵敏、可靠和紧凑的配置，并且与Sequestim目前提供的产品相比，成本更低。

Researchers at Cardiff University have developed a new type of security camera working at very long wavelengths, based on extremely sensitive detectors and filters originally developed for astronomy applications. A spin-out company, Sequestim Ltd, was formed to commercialise this technology for aviation and urban space security, and border protection markets.Working with Sequestim Ltd, a prototype camera was built. This was demonstrated at Cardiff Airport as a new way to scan passengers in real time, without them having to stand still and "hold a pose". The camera was also demonstrated to border protection agencies in it's truck scanning implementation, showing the ability to scan soft-sided trucks for hidden occupants at motorway speeds.But the prototype camera has a few impediments to commercial adoption. It has a linear array of superconducting detectors that have to be scanned over the target field in order to build up an image. The detectors need to be cooled to around 250mK, requiring an expensive cooling system based on Helium-3. There are global shortages of Helium-3, and this represents a risk to the supply chain. And the prototype scanning optics are large and unwieldy, doubling the overall size of the instrument, and have reliability issues.This proposal addresses all of the issues with the prototype. We will develop large arrays of detectors based on a new superconducting material system working at higher temperatures. This will allow the complete removal of the expensive and risky Helium-3 system. Additionally, the large arrays will completely fill the focal plane, allowing the removal of the scanning system, and allowing much more compact and optically superior on-axis refractive optics. The removal of any scanning also vastly increases the sensitivity of the instrument, meaning that the detectors will operate at a sensitivity limited only by the statistical variations in the arrival rate of the photons that hit them.We will integrate the new detector arrays to a new camera system to be built in collaboration with Sequestim Ltd. This camera system will represent the most sensitive, reliable and compact configuration possible, and at a reduced cost compared to the current offering from Sequestim.