Rad Hard Imaging Array with Picosecond Timing

For a wide range of remote sensing applications, there is a critical need to develop imaging arrays that simultaneously achieve high spatial resolution, high sensitivity, and sub-nanosecond timing resolution. Many of these remote sensing applications furthermore are satellite and space based, where the imaging array also needs to be rad hard; particularly for the harsh radiation environments typically found on certain deep space missions, such as to the moons of Jupiter. LightSpin Technologies is developing a high performance solid-state cross-strip anode imaging single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array technology using rad hard GaAs SPAD arrays. This approach promises substantial improvements in spatial resolution ( 10 Gcps). LightSpin has proven the concept provides excellent performance in small arrays (8 X 8 pixels) and developed a theoretical foundation enabling rapid scaling of the arrays to achieve Megapixel resolution at low cost.

NASA has an ongoing need for imaging detector arrays capable of withstanding the harsh irradiation environment of certain space missions. While silicon imagers are widely available at low cost, they are generally unable to withstand harsh radiation environments. In addition to static and video rate imaging, the development of imagers with time resolved capabilities enable time-of-flight instruments such as ladar, lidar, altimetry, and mapping. And finally, the ability to detect single photons with high sensitivity is critical.

High performance, time-of-flight imagers are rapidly making inroads into a number of applications, including autonomous navigation (automobiles, UAVs, marine), gesture recognition, and robotics. Current time-of-flight sensors are either too expensive (Google autonomous car system costs more than $50,000) or too limited in range (Microsoft Kinect system has a maximum range of 20 feet). Successful completion of this SBIR project (Phase I and Phase II) will enable Kinect like pricing ( 1 mile). Nearly all autonomous navigation applications would benefit, including automobile ladar (collision avoidance, pedestrian avoidance, autonomous driving), robotics (autonomous robotic navigation), airborne ladar (UAVs, airplane collision avoidance).

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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