Engineering Commons^™

Noise And Gain Characterization Of Interband Cascade Infrared Photodetectors, Eli A. Garduño

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Infrared (IR) detectors are an enabling technology for a broad and growing list of applications including gas detection, night vision, and space-based missile warning. There are ongoing efforts in IR detector research to explore the potential of new material systems and energy band structures in addition to continuously improving their sensitivity through increasing their quantum efficiency and lowering their dark current and noise. This dissertation examines an emerging class of IR detectors known as Interband Cascade Infrared Photodetectors (ICIPs).

ICIPs contain multiple regions to facilitate the collection of photogenerated electrons and to limit unwanted dark current. Theory regarding their performance …

Visual Servoing For Multirotor Precision Landing In Varying Light Conditions, Jesse Wynn, Tim Mclain

Faculty Publications

The problem of performing a precision landing of an autonomous multirotor UAV in various lighting conditions is studied. A vision-based approach is proposed and consists of varying degree-of-freedom image-based visual servoing (VDOF-IBVS), and a specialized landing marker. The proposed approach is validated through extensive flight testing outdoors in both lighted and dark conditions, and is done using a standard off-the-shelf autopilot system.

Schlieren Visualization Of Shaping Air During Operation Of An Electrostatic Rotary Bell Sprayer: Impact Of Shaping Air On Droplet Atomization And Transport, Adnan Darwish Ahmad, Ahmad M. Abubaker, Ahmad A. Salaimeh, Nelson K. Akafuah

Institute of Research for Technology Development Faculty Publications

Electrostatic rotary bell sprayers (ERBSs) are widely used in the automotive industry. In ERBS, atomization is facilitated using centrifugal forces which disintegrate the paint film inside the cup into droplets at the cup edge. The droplets are then transported by the flow of a shaping air (SA) and electrostatic forces to a target surface; the characteristics of these droplets dramatically influence the quality of a painted surface and the painting transfer efficiency. In the current paper, a novel Schlieren-based visualization of the shaping air in the absence of paint droplets was performed during a qualitative investigation to delineate shaping air …

Silicon Based Uncooled Microbolometer, Asahel Banobre

Dissertations

During the last decade, uncooled microbolometer infrared detectors have attracted the attention of military and civilian infrared detection and imaging industry due to their significant advantages. In actuality, infrared imaging systems play a critical role in sectors such as thermography (predictive maintenance and building inspection), commercial and civilian applications (vision automotive, surveillance, navigation and fire-fighting), and defense industry (thermal weapon sight, soldier vision and vehicle vision enhancer). Compared with the cryogenically cooled infrared photon detectors, uncooled infrared imaging technology offers advantages such as operation at room temperature, light weight and size, reduced power consumption, easy integration with read-out electronics and …

Plasmonic Grating Geometrics And Wavelength-Dependent Focus Depth In Infrared Detectors, Patrick R. Kennedy

Theses and Dissertations

The objective for this research is to determine a relationship between plasmonic grating geometries and the wavelength-dependent focus depth. This research is focused on enhancing the signal collected by infrared detectors by using a metal grating as a planar lens to focus light in the detecting region of the substrate. This can be used to maintain a thinner absorbing region and possibly to create multi-color imaging in a single pixel. Simulations demonstrate that the plasmonic lens is capable of creating a wavelength dependent focus spot.

Probing The Wave Nature Of Light-Matter Interaction, D. E. Boone, C. H. Jackson, A. T. Swecker, J. S. Hergenrather, K. S. Wenger, O. Kokhan, Balša Terzić, I. Melnikov, I. N. Ivanov, E. C. Stevens, G. Scarel

Physics Faculty Publications

The wave-particle duality of light is a controversial topic in modern physics. In this context, this work highlights the ability of the wave-nature of light on its own to account for the conservation of energy in light-matter interaction. Two simple fundamental properties of light as wave are involved: its period and its power P. The power P depends only on the amplitude of the wave’s electric and magnetic fields (Poynting’s vector), and can easily be measured with a power sensor for visible and infrared lasers. The advantage of such a wave-based approach is that it unveils unexpected effects of light’s …

Development And Simulation Of Germanium P-I-N Infrared Detectors, Caitlin Rouse Philippi

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Important factors for infrared photodetectors are that they are high-performing, low-cost devices. The performance can be characterized through the quantum efficiency, speed and device noise. Germanium (Ge) on silicon (Si) offers a comparable alternative to conventional groups III-V infrared detector materials such as InGaAs, InSb and HgCdTe in order to develop near-infrared (NIR) photodetector devices that operate with a high responsivity and a relatively low dark current without being cooled. As a Group IV material, Ge is compatible with Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) manufacturing which allows for a high-quality, high-throughput device for minimum cost. As a result of a thermally induced …