Abstract

The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Sensors Directorate has multiple missions, including the development of next generation infrared sensors. These sensors reflect advancements in both academic and research communities, as well as requirements flow-down from operators. There has been a multitude of developments over the past decade in each community. However, there has also been consilience that low-cost infrared sensing will be necessary for the Air Force. This paradigm stands in contrast to the current generation of high performance infrared sensors, i.e., cryogenically cooled, hybridized HgCdTe, InSb, and III/V strained layer superlattices. The Sensors Directorate currently has a multi-pronged approach to low-cost infrared sensing to meet this paradigm shift, including research in silicides, SiGeSn, and lead salts. Each of these approaches highlights our integration of materials, devices, and characterization.

Low-cost, large-visual-field pyroelectric infrared linear device

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Low-cost fabrication of microlasers based on polymeric micropedestals

H. M. Reynoso-de la Cruz, E. Ortiz-Ricardo, V. A. Camarena-Chávez, A. Martínez-Borquez, G. Gutiérrez-Juárez, A. B. U’Ren, and R. Castro-Beltrán
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Growth and photo-electronic characteristics of short/mid wave dual-band infrared detectors based on GaSb bulk and InAs/GaSb superlattices

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Yu Liu and Li Wei
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Low-cost optical fiber temperature-sensing system employing optical transceivers for Ethernet and long-period fiber grating

Osanori Koyama, Makoto Matsui, Takuro Kagawa, Yuta Suzuki, Kanami Ikeda, and Makoto Yamada
Appl. Opt. 58(9) 2366-2371 (2019)