Uncooled Multispectral Photoemissive Infrared Detector

Using novel materials and device geometries unique to North Carolina State University (NCSU) and Third Floor Materials (3FM) this program will develop a detector technology that enables room-temperature multispectral IR imaging by exploring transduction pathways between infra red light and a measureable electric signal mediated by an epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) mode. The research activity will use a combination of physical vapor deposition, conventional microelectronic fabrication methods, and a combination of optical and electronic modeling tools to design and create a prototype IR detector element that can be tested by an external laboratory. A suite of materials characterization tools will be implemented to characterize structure and morphology, while a suite of property measurement systems will be used to quantify sensor performance in the context of currently available detector technologies.

We anticipate that NASA applications that include space-based observation of Earth (for the purpose of weather predictions, monitoring air pollution, climate change measurements, etc...), sub-orbital sensor networks, IR interferometry, and solar system exploration. This research is of interest to any application that benefits from an IR detector that is low mass and can be operated at ambient temperature, and can simultaneously detect multiple frequencies. Those IR sensor applications that are in flight or in orbit are of particular interest.

Inexpensive, low energy consumption, room temperature multispectral IR sensing is of extreme interest for IR imagers for the commercial sector. First responders, police, and the security industry would be particularly interested in low low cost IR cameras. The health care industry is also interested in IR imagers for medical diagonstics.

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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