Hg-free Mid-wave and Short-wave Colloidal Quantum Dot Infrared Photodetectors
Abstract
"To aid the Navys Situational Awareness System (SAWS) and maintain highest level of situational awareness, the next generation of Air Cushion Vehicles (ACVs) are intended to conduct day/night off-shore, near-shore, and on-shore missions to identify targets, perform threat assessment, assess intent in accordance with the rules of engagement, and support weapons engagement through automatic tracking and fire control-solutions through line-of-sight. To improve operational capability, these ACVs and other such vessels seek long-range imaging not only through day and night, but also through degraded visual environments such as sea spray, high humidity, haze, dense fog, smoke, turbulence and even sand and dust. Current technology that involves radar, nightvision devices, and visual watches has been relatively unchanged since World War II and is pretty much obsolete which provides a compelling motivation to design novel sensors and imaging architectures that are durable, affordable and can provide high performance and persistent surveillance. In this regard, infrared (IR) detectors have the powerful ability to resolve optical images in low visibility or obstructed environments. These detectors capture radiations emittedwithin a field of view to generate images with extreme details. The technological advantage of extending the spectral response towards longer Mid-wave Infrared lies in the fact that detectors do not require an illumination source for imaging (passive imaging) and have the ability to see through airborne obscurants such as smoke, mist, and fog thus rendering them highly suited for applicationsthat require capabilities unmet by visible detectors. Our aim is to design novel Mid-wave and Short-wave IR detectors and imagers based on colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) which demonstrate an extremely low SWaPC (size, weight, power and cost) compared to the well-established mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe) detectors. In particular, this project aims to use intraband absorbingsilver selenide CQDs as a new environmentally benign and non-toxic IR photodetector material. The overarching goal of this research proposal is to use a progressive study comprising of a closeknit coupled feedback loop of theory-synthesis-structure-property-performance that will provide the most detailed understanding of the IR photo-physics and optoelectronic propertieetectors and imagers with high responsivity, detectivity and low noise and operating at temperatures >200K (obtained through solid-state thermoelectric cooling). The success of thisproject will have a huge impact on the IR imaging and sensing area which is currently dominated by the toxic HgCdTe detectors (environmental contamination and operation at cryogenic temperatures). The outcomes of this project could potentially enable a low-cost, high performance SWIR and MWIR imaging technology that will be ubiquitously utilized in a broad range of defenseapplications ranging from situational awareness by the US Navy, Army and the Air Force, to firstresponder and search-and-rescue, and poor weather surveillance applications. Also, our success will provide a road map for integrating CQDs in mainstream commercial IR applications and notjust restrict to military and astronomy applications. Additionally, through this proposed work, we plan on advancing our fundamental and practical understanding of Mid-IR detector technology by focusing on the structure-property relationship of IR-active CQDs. Furthermore, the knowledgegained here can also be used to design IR LASER sources for military applications in jamming technology and other infrared counter measures (IRCM)."
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 29, 2020
- Source ID
- N000142012231
Entities
People
- Ayaskanta Sahu
Organizations
- New York University
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy