A NOVEL IR DETECTOR FOR SURVEILLANCE AND EARLY DETECTION

CONDUCTUS, INC., IN CONJUNCTION WITH LAWRENCE BERKELEY LABORATORY (LBL) AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY, HAS DEVELOPED A CONCEPT CALLED THE "ANTENNA COUPLED HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTING MICROBOLOMETER," WHICH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PROVIDE SENSITIVITY AND RESPONSE EXCEEDING THAT ANY OTHER KIND OF LONG WAVELENGTH INFRARED DETECTOR OPERATING AT 77 F OR HIGHER TEMPERATURE. IN ADDITION, THE CONDUCTUS MICROBOLOMETER PROMISES TO BE INTRINSICALLY VERY RESISTANT TO DAMAGE OR UPSET BY EITHER IONIZING OR LASER RADIATION. THE BOLOMETER MAY ALSO BE USED, IF DESIRED, TO DETECT SUB-MM, MM, AND MICROWAVE RADIATION. THE VERY HIGH SENSITIVITY AND RESPONSIVITY (UP TO AND BEYOND 10(5) HZ) OF THE CONDUCTUS MICROBOLOMETER, COMBINED WITH ITS RADIATION AND LASER HARDNESS, MAKE IT AN IDEAL CANDIDATE FOR INFRARED DETECTION AND IMAGING SYSTEMS. IT ALSO HAS POSSIBLE COMMERCIAL APPLICATION AS A REPLACEMENT FOR LIQUID HE COOLED BOLOMETERS AND PYROELECTRIC DETECTORS CURRENTLY USED IN INFRARED SPECTROPHOTOMETERS. CONDUCTUS PROPOSES UNDER THIS SBIR TO FURTHER OPTIMIZE THE MICROBOLOMETER DESIGN TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE AND HARDNESS, AND TO FABRICATE AND TEST SEVERAL PROTOTYPES.