PI AT ARKLIGHT PROPOSES A NOVEL APPROACH TO PHOTON COUNTING DETECTORS AT NEAR-IR (1-1.8 M) AND MID-IR (3-4…

Public award description

PI AT ARKLIGHT PROPOSES A NOVEL APPROACH TO PHOTON COUNTING DETECTORS AT NEAR-IR (1-1.8 M) AND MID-IR (3-4 M) WITH SINGLE PHOTON SENSITIVITY, REPRESENTING AN INNOVATIVE LIDAR TECHNOLOGY FOR ASCENDS MISSION. SHE WILL CONVERT THE INPUT SIGNALS AT 1.27 M AND 1.57 M TO THOSE AT 579 NM AND 634 NM, RESPECTIVELY, WITHIN A PERIODICALLY-POLED LINBO3 WAFER, PUMPED BY A ND:YAG LASER AT 1.064 M OR A 200-MW INGAAS LASER AT 980 NM. THE ANTICIPATED RESULTS FOR PHASE 1 INCLUDE DEMONSTRATIONS OF EFFICIENT FREQUENCY UP-CONVERSION FROM 1.27 M AND 1.57 M TO 579 NM AND 634 NM, DETERMINATION OF FUNDAMENTAL LIMITS TO NOISE EQUIVALENT POWERS, PERFORMANCE OF THE PROPOSED DETECTION SYSTEM AFTER OPTIMIZATIONS, A FINAL DESIGN OF AN ULTRA-COMPACT DETECTION SYSTEM AFTER CONSIDERING E.G. AN INTRACAVITY CONFIGURATION, AND REPORTS. BEGINNING/END (PHASE 1): TRL 1/3. THE ANTICIPATED RESULTS FOR PHASE 2 INCLUDE IMPLEMENTATION AND TESTING OF THE ULTRA-COMPACT DETECTION SYSTEM, MEASUREMENT AND ANALYSIS OF NOISE EQUIVALENT POWERS AND PHOTON SENSITIVITIES, EXPANSION OF DETECTION WAVELENGTHS TO 1-1.8 M AND 3-4 M, FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS OF SINGLE-PHOTON SENSITIVITY, DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND TESTING OF A BATTERY-POWERED, CELL-PHONE-SIZED, AND INTEGRABLE DETECTION SYSTEM WITH SINGLE PHOTON SENSITIVITY BEING ACHIEVED, TO BE TESTED IN SPACE-BASED PLATFORMS, AND REPORTS.