SBIR Phase II: THz Imaging Focal Plane Array

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to develop a high-resolution focal plane array for terahertz imagery. THz radiation is a largely unexplored region of the spectrum, but holds great promise for its ability to pass through clothing, packaging and baggage walls (security applications) and for its ability to excite resonant molecular motions according to the composition and conformation of complex molecules such as explosives, illegal drugs and pharmaceuticals (imaging spectroscopy). Present uncooled detector technology is marginal in its ability to sense THz radiation and in video frame rate. The anticipated results of this work are to demonstrate: (1) a 20 to 40 times improvement in noise-limited radiation detection at operation up to 250 Hz frame rate; (2) a new technique for very low cost manufacture of all-wavelength focal plane arrays; and (3) a high-performance THz focal plane array.