Method and Characterization of Pyroelectric Coefficients for Determining Material Figures of Merit for Infrared (IR) Detectors
Abstract
Infrared (IR) detectors have found wide-spread use in military applications including night-vision, rifle sights, surveillance gear, and tracking and guidance systems (1). These detectors provide a means for information collection and increased situational awareness, allowing for threat identification and informed decision making. The IR sensors used in these detectors can be categorized into two classes Photon (or quantum) and Thermal depending on the physics of operation. Photon detectors operate by the creation of an electrical signal in semiconducting material produced from the electronic absorption of incoming photons, and the signal is read as a photocurrent or at a photovoltaic p-n junction. These detectors can provide high-sensitivity and fast refresh rates and are typically found in applications with high-sensitivity requirements. Unfortunately, these detectors require sub-100 K cooling to lower thermal noise for optimal performance making them both bulky and expensive (2).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA592778
Entities
People
- Eric Ngo
- Mathew Ivill
- Melanie W. Cole
Organizations
- United States Army Research Laboratory