Introduction to infrared detectors

Slawomir Piatek, Ph.D., Hamamatsu Corporation and New Jersey Institute of Technology
July 28, 2020

About this webinar

A great deal of information about the physical world, from cosmos to DNA, comes to us in the form of infrared radiation (IR). In addition, man-made systems, such as automotive LiDAR, thermal-vision cameras, or communication networks, rely on IR for successful and optimal operation. A common denominator to nearly all uses of IR as a probe or messenger, from spectroscopy to imaging, is its detection. Therefore, IR photodetectors are the main focus of this webinar, in particular, their structure, operation, and optoelectronic characteristics. The webinar also discusses the process of selecting a suitable IR photodetector in the context of a given application.

 

Topics of presentation:

  1. Learn about the existing IR photodetectors: structure, operation, and limitations
  2. Learn how to compare the performance of IR photodetectors and understand that photodetector selection involves tradeoffs
  3. Become familiar with several applications employing IR and understand why in these applications IR is superior to other parts of electromagnetic spectrum

About the presenter

Slawomir S. Piatek has been measuring proper motions of nearby galaxies using images obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope as a senior university lecturer of physics at New Jersey Institute of Technology. He has developed a photonics training program for engineers at Hamamatsu Corporation in New Jersey in the role of a science consultant. Also at Hamamatsu, he is involved in popularizing a SiPM as a novel photodetector by writing and lecturing about it, and by experimenting with the device. He earned a Ph.D. in Physics at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, in 1994.