A room temperature tunable antenna coupled intersubband terahertz (TACIT) detector for man-portable spectroscopy instruments

Several emerging applications require chemical fingerprinting of hidden/concealed objects (via THz spectroscopy) from man-portable or UAV platforms.  While the field of THz detectors has largely been driven by the needs of the astrophysics community, where cryocooling is considered acceptable, recently, two classes of room temperature THz detectors were demonstrated.   One of these is the tunable antenna coupled intersubband terahertz (TACIT) detector, which was demonstrated by a team from UCSB and JPL.  Specifically, the TACIT detector has already been demonstrated as providing a reasonable room temperature NEP at 1 THz, and it has been demonstrated as providing high speed of operation, and voltage tunability with a small dc bias.  In this proposal, the Tanner/JPL/UCSB team is proposing the refinement of the TACIT detector to the specifications required by the DoD.  At the end of Phase I, we will deliver a TACIT detector, along with a demonstration of the man-portability aspect via a demonstration at an Air Force facility.  At the end of Phase II, we will deliver an optimized TACIT detector with specifications as set forth by the Air Force POC, and various Air Force customers. BENEFIT: THz spectroscopy from a man-portable, and lightweight instrument , will make it possible to detect and characterize concealed/hidden objects.)