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Title: Thermal Microphotonic Focal Plane Array (TM-FPA).

Abstract

The advent of high quality factor (Q) microphotonic-resonators has led to the demonstration of high-fidelity optical sensors of many physical phenomena (e.g. mechanical, chemical, and biological sensing) often with far better sensitivity than traditional techniques. Microphotonic-resonators also offer potential advantages as uncooled thermal detectors including significantly better noise performance, smaller pixel size, and faster response times than current thermal detectors. In particular, microphotonic thermal detectors do not suffer from Johnson noise in the sensor, offer far greater responsivity, and greater thermal isolation as they do not require metallic leads to the sensing element. Such advantages make the prospect of a microphotonic thermal imager highly attractive. Here, we introduce the microphotonic thermal detection technique, present the theoretical basis for the approach, discuss our progress on the development of this technology and consider future directions for thermal microphotonic imaging. Already we have demonstrated viability of device fabrication with the successful demonstration of a 20{micro}m pixel, and a scalable readout technique. Further, to date, we have achieved internal noise performance (NEP{sub Internal} < 1pW/{radical}Hz) in a 20{micro}m pixel thereby exceeding the noise performance of the best microbolometers while simultaneously demonstrating a thermal time constant ({tau} = 2ms) that is five times faster. Inmore » all, this results in an internal detectivity of D*{sub internal} = 2 x 10{sup 9}cm {center_dot} {radical}Hz/W, while roughly a factor of four better than the best uncooled commercial microbolometers, future demonstrations should enable another order of magnitude in sensitivity. While much work remains to achieve the level of maturity required for a deployable technology, already, microphotonic thermal detection has demonstrated considerable potential.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
976946
Report Number(s):
SAND2009-6998
TRN: US201009%%223
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION; RESONATORS; OPTICAL EQUIPMENT; SENSORS; THERMAL RADIATION; RADIATION DETECTION; FABRICATION; PERFORMANCE; BOLOMETERS; TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT; Resonators-Design and construction.; Optical sensors.; Focal planes.

Citation Formats

McCormick, Frederick Bossert, Lentine, Anthony L, Wright, Jeremy Benjamin, Watts, Michael R, Shaw, Michael J, Rakich, Peter T, Nielson, Gregory N, Peters, David William, and Zortman, William A. Thermal Microphotonic Focal Plane Array (TM-FPA).. United States: N. p., 2009. Web. doi:10.2172/976946.
McCormick, Frederick Bossert, Lentine, Anthony L, Wright, Jeremy Benjamin, Watts, Michael R, Shaw, Michael J, Rakich, Peter T, Nielson, Gregory N, Peters, David William, & Zortman, William A. Thermal Microphotonic Focal Plane Array (TM-FPA).. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/976946
McCormick, Frederick Bossert, Lentine, Anthony L, Wright, Jeremy Benjamin, Watts, Michael R, Shaw, Michael J, Rakich, Peter T, Nielson, Gregory N, Peters, David William, and Zortman, William A. 2009. "Thermal Microphotonic Focal Plane Array (TM-FPA).". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/976946. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/976946.
@article{osti_976946,
title = {Thermal Microphotonic Focal Plane Array (TM-FPA).},
author = {McCormick, Frederick Bossert and Lentine, Anthony L and Wright, Jeremy Benjamin and Watts, Michael R and Shaw, Michael J and Rakich, Peter T and Nielson, Gregory N and Peters, David William and Zortman, William A},
abstractNote = {The advent of high quality factor (Q) microphotonic-resonators has led to the demonstration of high-fidelity optical sensors of many physical phenomena (e.g. mechanical, chemical, and biological sensing) often with far better sensitivity than traditional techniques. Microphotonic-resonators also offer potential advantages as uncooled thermal detectors including significantly better noise performance, smaller pixel size, and faster response times than current thermal detectors. In particular, microphotonic thermal detectors do not suffer from Johnson noise in the sensor, offer far greater responsivity, and greater thermal isolation as they do not require metallic leads to the sensing element. Such advantages make the prospect of a microphotonic thermal imager highly attractive. Here, we introduce the microphotonic thermal detection technique, present the theoretical basis for the approach, discuss our progress on the development of this technology and consider future directions for thermal microphotonic imaging. Already we have demonstrated viability of device fabrication with the successful demonstration of a 20{micro}m pixel, and a scalable readout technique. Further, to date, we have achieved internal noise performance (NEP{sub Internal} < 1pW/{radical}Hz) in a 20{micro}m pixel thereby exceeding the noise performance of the best microbolometers while simultaneously demonstrating a thermal time constant ({tau} = 2ms) that is five times faster. In all, this results in an internal detectivity of D*{sub internal} = 2 x 10{sup 9}cm {center_dot} {radical}Hz/W, while roughly a factor of four better than the best uncooled commercial microbolometers, future demonstrations should enable another order of magnitude in sensitivity. While much work remains to achieve the level of maturity required for a deployable technology, already, microphotonic thermal detection has demonstrated considerable potential.},
doi = {10.2172/976946},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/976946}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2009},
month = {Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2009}
}