Heterogeneous Integration of High Operating Temperature Barrier IR Detectors and Waveguides: Integrated Photonics for IR Hyperspectral Sensing

Northrop Grumman (NG) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) propose to heterogeneously integrate JPL's High Operating Temperature Barrier Infrared Detectors (HOT-BIRD) with NG's infrared (IR) photonic waveguide chips forming the core component of a compact IR photonic spectrometer. Under the NASA ESTO SLI-T program, NG is developing a short wave IR photonic sensor, where an entire spectrometer (including optics, detectors, and readout electronics) can fit in a volume comparable to that occupied by an FPA assembly alone in current-day systems. The effort proposed under this ACT will extend the operational range of the photonic spectrometer instrument into the mid wave infrared (MWIR), enabling a miniaturized hyperspectral instrument capable of meeting NASA/NOAA's GEO IR imaging mission requirements. This architecture also aligns with NASA's desire for flexible low SWAP instruments that can be inserted on any platform from ground to air to space. We have carried out fundamental device modeling and developed approaches for fabricating MWIR-LWIR waveguides and waveguide components, and defined requirements for infrared detectors. The recently invented JPL HOT-BIRD technology offers a breakthrough solution for the realization of low-cost, high-performance photonic FPAs with excellent uniformity, operability, robust manufacturability, and lower development cost. HOT-BIRD detectors exhibit very low 1/f noise and high temporal stability, thus enabling long integration times and eliminating frequent calibrations. Under the proposed effort, our team will optimize detector and waveguide geometries, heterogeneously integrate the devices, and demonstrate functionality of the integrated components.

Accelerate mission development and reduce risk by developing critical components and subsystems for advanced instruments and observing systems

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