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At least 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1982

Relative array analysis of upper mantle lateral velocity variations in Southern California

The many densely spaced stations of the Southern California Seismic Network, SCARLET, provide a unique opportunity to examine local variations in upper mantle velocities. By averaging the incoming teleseismic wavefronts over 100-km aperture subarrays, ray parameter dT/dDelta, azimuth, and average arrival time estimates were obtained for each event. These values are compared to whole array plane fit parameters with relative array diagrams and representations of net subarray delays. The conducted study confirms the existence of a high-velocity body at depth beneath the Transverse Ranges and a low-velocity region under the Salton Trough. An uppermost mantle anomaly beneath the San Bernardino Mountains is well established both by this study and from local data. The relation of this body to the deeper structure is investigated.

Walck, M. C.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Symmetric Waveguide Orthomode Junctions

Imaging applications at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths demand precise characterization of the amplitude, spectrum, and polarization of the electromagnetic radiation. The use of a waveguide orthomode transducer (OMT) can help achieve these goals by increasing spectral coverage and sensitivity while reducing exit aperture size, optical spill, instrumental polarization offsets, and lending itself to integration in focal plane arrays. For these reasons, four-fold symmetric OMTs are favored over a traditional quasi-optical wire grid for focal plane imaging arrays from a systems perspective. The design, fabrication, and test of OMTs realized with conventional split-block techniques for millimeter wave-bands are described. The design provides a return loss is -20 dB over a full waveguide band (40% bandwidth), and the cross-polarization and isolation are greater than -40 dB for tolerances readily achievable in practice. Prototype examples realized in WR10.0 and WR3.7 wavebands will be considered in detail.

Wollack, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Symmetric Waveguide Orthomode Junctions

Imaging applications at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths demand precise characterization of the amplitude, spectrum, and polarization of the electromagnetic radiation. The use of a waveguide orthomode transducer (OMT) can help achieve these goals by increasing spectral coverage and sensitivity while reducing exit aperture size, optical spill, instrumental polarization offsets, and lending itself to integration in focal plane arrays. For these reasons, four-old symmetric OMTs are favored over a traditional quasi-optical wire grid for focal plane imaging arrays from a systems perspective. The design, fabrication, and test of OMTs realized with conventional split-block techniques for millimeter wave-bands are described. The design provides a return loss is -20 dB over a full waveguide band (40% bandwidth), and the cross-polarization and isolation are greater than -40 dB for tolerances readily achievable in practice. Prototype examples realized in WR10.0 and WR3.7 wavebands will be considered in detail.

Wollack, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Advanced multispectral remote sensing technology and applications; Proceedings of the Conference, Arlington, VA, May 6, 7, 1982

Sensor system concepts are discussed, taking into account a multispectral linear array instrument design, an improved earth resources sensing instrument, design tradeoffs for a multispectral linear array instrument, imaging spectrometer technologies for advanced earth remote sensing, and the design concept for an optimized earth radiation budget sensor. Topics related to supporting optics and signal processing methodologies are explored, giving attention to two mirror objective design for multispectral remote sensing, the measurement of optical modulation functions in sparsely sampled mosaic focal plane arrays, multispectral linear array focal plane signal processing, signal processing for the NASA multispectral linear array, the concept for a multiple resolution pushbroom sensor, and the evolution of the octal radiometer. Techniques and applications for multispectral data are considered along with aspects of focal plane technology.

Ando, K. J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

InSb linear multiplexed FPAs for the CRAF/Cassini visible and infrared mapping spectrometer

This paper provides a review of a custom multiplexer circuit designed for use with a 256 element InSb linear array in the CRAF/Cassini VIMS instruments. The requirements, operation noise model and test results from a prototype 1 x 64 array are discussed. The infrared focal plane array (FPA) preliminary design and the impact of the new multiplexer on the instruments' predicted performance will be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on the multiplexer that was designed for the CRAF/Cassini missions. The FPA assembly combines electronic and optical components into a single hermetically sealed hybrid package. The detector configuration is that of a linear dual-multiplexed indium antimonide array with 256 elements, each 103 x 200 on 123-micron centers.

Niblack, Curtiss↗
NASA NTRS2011

Design and Development of 256x256 Linear Mode Low-Noise Avalanche Photodiode Arrays

A larger format photodiode array is always desirable for many LADAR imaging applications. However, as the array format increases, the laser power or the lens aperture has to increase to maintain the same flux per pixel thus increasing the size, weight and power of the imaging system. In order to avoid this negative impact, it is essential to improve the pixel sensitivity. The sensitivity of a short wavelength infrared linear-mode avalanche photodiode (APD) is a delicate balance of quantum efficiency, usable gain, excess noise factor, capacitance, and dark current of APD as well as the input equivalent noise of the amplifier. By using InA1As as a multiplication layer in an InP-based APD, the ionization coefficient ratio, k, is reduced from 0.40 (lnP) to 0.22, and the excess noise is reduced by about 50%. An additional improvement in excess noise of 25% was achieved by employing an impact-ionization-engineering structure with a k value of 0.15. Compared with the traditional InP structure, about 30% reduction in the noise-equivalent power with the following amplifier can be achieved. Spectrolab demonstrated 30-um mesa APD pixels with a dark current less than 10 nA and a capacitance of 60 fF at gain of 10. APD gain uninformity determines the usable gain of most pixels in an array, which is critical to focal plane array sensitivity. By fine tuning the material growth and device process, a break-down-voltage standard deviation of 0.1 V and gain of 30 on individual pixels were demonstrated in our 256x256 linear-mode APD arrays.

Yuan, Ping↗
NASA NTRS1994

Approaches and Analysis for On-Focal-Plane Analog-to-Digital Conversion

This paper presents approaches for on-focal-plane analog-to-digital conversion (ADC). Common approaches and architectures for ADC and their utility for on-focal-plane integration are discussed. Candidate approaches are analyzed with respect to required amplifier gain, bandwidth, capacitance matching, noise and offsets as a function of ADC resolution. A column-parallel ADC architecture appears to be an effective compromise of chip area, power, circuit speed and ADC resolution. The discussion is valid for both infrared focal-plane arrays (FPAs) and visible image sensors.

analog-to-digital↗
NASA NTRS2005

Multi-Band Large Format Infrared Imaging Arrays

Large-format and multi-band focal plane arrays (FPA) based on quantum well and quantum dot infrared photodetectors have been developed for various instruments such as imaging interferometers and hyperspectral imagers. The spectral response of these detectors are tailorable within the mid- and long-wavelength infrared bands.

infrared↗
NASA NTRS2007

Auxiliary Components for Kilopixel Transition Edge Sensor Arrays

We have fabricated transition edge sensor bolometer focal plane arrays sensitive to mm-submillimeter (0.1-3 THz) radiation for the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), which will probe the cosmic microwave background at 0.147,0.215, and 0.279 GHz. Central to the performance of these bolometers is a set of auxiliary resistive components. Here we discuss shunt resistors, which allow for tight optimization of bolometer time constant and sensitivity. Our shunt resistors consist of AuPd strips grown atop of interdigitated superconducting MoN, wires. We can tailor the shunt resistance by altering the dimensions of the AuPd strips and the pitch and width of the MoN, wires and can fabricate over 1000 shunts on a single 4" wafer. By modeling the resistance dependence of these parameters, a variety of different 0.77 +I-0.13 mOhm shunt resistors have been fabricated. This variety includes different shunts possessing MoN, wires with wire width equal to 1.5 and 10 microns and pitch equal to 4.5 and 26 microns, respectively. Our ability to set the resistance of the shunts hints at the scalability of our design. We have also integrated a Si02 capping layer into our shunt resistor fabrication scheme, which inhibits metal corrosion and eventual degradation of the shunt. Consequently, their robustness coupled with their high packing density makes these resistive components attractive for future kilopixel detector arrays.

Brown, Ari-David↗
NASA NTRS1981

Infrared fiber optic focal plane dispersers

Far infrared transmissive fiber optics as a component in the design of integrated far infrared focal plane array utilization is discussed. A tightly packed bundle of fibers is placed at the focal plane, where an array of infrared detectors would normally reside, and then fanned out in two or three dimensions to individual detectors. Subsequently, the detectors are multiplexed by cryogenic electronics for relay of the data. A second possible application is frequency up-conversion (v sub 1 + v sub 2 = v sub 3), which takes advantage of the nonlinear optical index of refraction of certain infrared transmissive materials in fiber form. Again, a fiber bundle is utilized as above, but now a laser of frequency v sub 1 is mixed with the incoming radiation of frequency v sub 1 within the nonlinear fiber material. The sum, v sub 2 is then detected by near infrared or visible detectors which are more sensitive than those available at v sub 2. Due to the geometrical size limitations of detectors such as photomultipliers, the focal plane dispersal technique is advantageous for imaging up-conversion.

Goebel, J. H.↗
NASA NTRS1992

LWIR scene simulator developed for end-to-end performance evaluation of focal planes

The development of a long-wave infrared optical simulator facilitates evaluation of the end-to-end performance of long wavelength infrared (LWIR) focal plane arrays (FPAs) in a system-like environment. This simulator provides selectable structured scene inputs to a focal plane module or array. Background irradiances as low as 10 exp 10 photons/sq cm s are achievable when the simulator is cooled with liquid helium. The optical simulator can generate single or multiple targets of controllable intensities, and uniform or structured background irradiances. The infrared scenes can be viewed in a stationary mode or dynamically scanned across the focal plane.

Thompson, Niels A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Differential temperature stress measurement employing array sensor with local offset

The instrument has a focal plane array of infrared sensors of the integrating type such as a multiplexed device in which a charge is built up on a capacitor which is proportional to the total number of photons which that sensor is exposed to between read-out cycles. The infrared sensors of the array are manufactured as part of an overall array which is part of a micro-electronic device. The sensor achieves greater sensitivity by applying a local offset to the output of each sensor before it is converted into a digital word. The offset which is applied to each sensor will typically be the sensor's average value so that the digital signal which is periodically read from each sensor of the array corresponds to the portion of the signal which is varying in time. With proper synchronization between the cyclical loading of the test object and the frame rate of the infrared array the output of the A/D converted signal will correspond to the stress field induced temperature variations. A digital lock-in operation may be performed on the output of each sensor in the array. This results in a test instrument which can rapidly form a precise image of the thermoelastic stresses in an object.

Lesniak, Jon R.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Long-wavelength 256x256 QWIP Hand-held Camera

In this paper, we discuss the development of very sensitive long wavelength infrared (LWIR) GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs), fabrication of random reflectors for efficient light coupling, and the demonstration of first hand-held long-wavelength 256x256 QWIP focal plane array camera. Excellent imagery, with a noise equivalent differential temperature of 25 mK has been achieved.

long↗
NASA NTRS1996

Long Wavelength 256 X 256 Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector Portable Camera

In this paper, we discuss the development of very sensitive long wavelength infrared (LWIR) GaAs/AlGal-xAs Quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPS), fabrication of random reflectors for efficient light coupling, and the demonstration of a LWIR 256 X 256 focal plane array imaging camera. Excellent imagery, with a noise equivalent differential temperature (NE-delta-T) of 25 mK has been achieved.

long wavelength inrared photodetectors random refl↗