Pyroelectric hybridized long-wave infrared laser radiation detector assembly
AssigneeLoral Electro-Optical Systems, Inc.
InventorRudolph R. Gammarino
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A pyroelectric detector assembly for detection of 10.6 .mu.m infrared laser radiation which has a thin film detector element fabricated from thin film lithium tantalate (LiTaO.sub.3) coated with black gold, and an ultra low noise charge coupled preamplifier optimized for lithium tantalate. A postamplifier includes a low pass filter, voltage comparator, threshold adjustment, and pulse generator.
Claims17
An improved pyroelectric detector assembly for detecting infrared radiation of the type having a pyroelectric detector element, a preamplifier, a signal conditioner, and a postamplifier, wherein the improvement comprises:
- a thin film pyroelectric detector element coated with a layer of long wave infrared radiation absorbing material for detecting low intensity long wave infrared laser radiation at wavelengths about 10.6 .mu.m;
- an ultra low noise charge coupled hybridized preamplifier;
- a signal conditioner;
- and
- postamplifier including a voltage comparator, a threshold adjustment, and a pulse generator.
A system of detection of long-wave infrared laser radiation, said system comprising:
- radiation transmission means substantially transparent to long-wave infrared radiation;
- detection means for detecting low intensity long-wave infrared radiation;
- preamplification means for ultra low noise amplification of voltages output from said detection means;
- signal conditioning means for conditioning signals output from said preamplification means;
- postamplification means for amplification of signals output from said signal conditioning means;
- signal comparison means for comparing signals output from said postamplification means with a preset threshold;
- pulse generation means for emitting an electronic pulse when triggered by said signal comparison means;
- electromagnetic interference shielding means to shield said detection means, preamplification means, signal conditioning means, postamplification means, signal comparison means, and pulse generation means from electromagnetic radiation;
- and
- enclosure means for protecting from the ambient environment and maintaining in precise alignment said detection means, preamplification means, signal conditioning means, postamplification means, signal comparison means, and pulse generation means.
A system for detection of long-wave infrared radiation, said system comprising:
- an anti-reflection coated germanium window substantially transparent to long-wave infrared radiation;
- a milled chemically etched EMI shield substantially transmissive to long-wave infrared radiation;
- a thin film pyroelectric detector element;
- an ultra low noise charge coupled hybridized preamplifier;
- electronic circuitry for conditioning the signals output from said preamplifier;
- a postamplifier including a low pass filter, a voltage comparator, threshold adjustment, and a pulse generator;
- an enclosure impervious to radiofrequency radiation, enclosing said window, gridded EMI shield, pyroelectric detector element, preamplifier, conditioning circuitry, and postamplifier;
- and
- a back plate impervious to radiofrequency radiation.
A system for detection of long-wave infrared laser radiation, said system comprising:
- an anti-reflection coated germanium window having a transmissivity maximum at around 10.6 .mu.m, around one-inch in diameter and around 0.025 inch in thickness;
- a chemically etched shield impervious to radiofrequency radiation and substantially transmissive to long-wave infrared radiation, in close proximity below said window;
- a thin film detector element fabricated from lithium tantalate, in close proximity below said shield, around 25 .mu.m in thickness and having an active area of around 1 cm.sup.2, coated with a layer of black gold;
- a preamplifier package which has the capability to amplify the current generated when radiation impinges on said detector element;
- and
- a postamplifier package which has the capability to filter and amplify the voltage signal generated by said preamplifier package.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.