SBIR-STTR Award

Smart IR weapons must have excellent IR sensor characteristics that exploit as much information as possible to ensure guidance accuracy with low false alarms. Quantum Well Infrared Photoconductors (QWIPs) offer an opportunity to explore long wavelength polarization characteristics. A great deal of attention has been directed toward creating 2D gratings that produce large coupling coefficient. One side effect of grating coupling is the polarization dependency of the grating. While an undesirable effect in general, a specialty QWIP sensor that takes advantage of this inherent polarization might provide significant new information about polarization effects of IR signatures. This program is targeted towards creating a sensor capable of two registered, simultaneous, horizontal and vertical, polarized images

Keywords:
ALGAAS/GAAS QWIP polarization bound-to-miniband qwips photodetectors polarization polarization

This Phase II SBIR will produce a unique quantum well staring FPA FLIR imager that has the ability to produce fully registered polarized imagery in the long wave band. For the first time in LWIR the ability will exist to explore polarization effects that could lead to follow-on work in algorithm development to reduce clutter, identify targets, enhance chemical detection, and provide new and unique inputs for ATR algorithms. The two FPA FLIRs will be capable of simultaneous imaging of two independently polarized long wave images. These images will be spacially and temporally registered so the effects of polarization may be exploited to provide superior image enhancements. The specific objectives of Phase II are: -Acquire 320 X 256 multiplexer readout circuits, of an existing design, suitable for quantum well applications.-Produce a dual polarized detector assembly.-Integrate these two items into a hybrid focal plane array.-Integrate at least three (3) FBAs for use with the two planned FPA FLIRs.-Provide imaging electronics that produce two fully corrected images.-FAB, assemble, and test two complete polarized FPA FLIRs.-Data collection