Strong first day in Orlando
Conferences saw strong attendance on opening day of SPIE Security, Defense, and Sensing, including more than 200 people in the room for sessions on Infrared Technologies and Applications where opening papers were from SOFRADIR, The Aerospace Corp., SCD Semicondcutor Devices, Thales Optronics, and others.
Paper 8012-1 ("Sofradir latest developments for infrared space detectors," byPhilippe Chorier, Patricia Pidancier, Yoanna-Reine Nowicki-Bringuier,Anne Delannoy, and Bruno Fieque of Sofradir) described how Sofradir develops and produces application-specific IR imaging systems for both tactical and space missions.
Current space applications include the Saturn imaging system at .4 to 2.5 microns with an array size of 1000x256 pixels. The system is rad-hardened and passed both shock and vibration testing for launch events. Other systems include the Neptune imaging system at 500x256 pixels and the Sentinel system for a European remote Sensing application.
The Sentinel system is designed specifically for monitoring vegetation and has a superspectral detector at 6 individual wavelengths. Each wavelength is in a 1298x1 detector array meant for a synthetic aperture optical approach. In 2011 Sofradir will have 5 imaging systems launched into orbit.
Active target tracking advances were described in paper 8052-01, "Requirements on active (laser) tracking and imaging from a technology perspective," by Jim Riker (Air Force Research Lab). The technique employs a laser to illuminate the target and provide increased signal back to the detector.
The method has proved successful in the Airborne Laser program, the Airborne Tactical Laser program, and the Tactical High-Energy Laser program. Active tracking -- as compared to passive tracking which uses ambient sunlight -- improves the return signal-to-noise ratio, but its effectiveness is limited by the atmospheric variables, turbulence and spectral reflectance of the target. Thus future priorities are to improve detector technology.
In the keynote paper for the conference on Terahertz Physics, Devices, and Systems ("Toward realizing high-power semiconductor terahertz laser sources at room temperature," 8023-01) Manijeh Razeghi of Northwestern Univ. discussed the progress and varied approaches for reaching the goal of a compact, room-temperature, electrically driven, milliwatt terahertz (Thz) optical source.
Optical approaches include using quantum cascade lasers (QCL) in the far-infrared to generate Thz output or mixing the output from two far-spaced IR QCLs to generate a beat frequency in the Thz range in a nonlinear medium.
New Fellows
SPIE President Elect presented pins to new Fellows of the Society at a luncheon attended by approximately 50 of the Society's Fellows. The 5 new Fellows out of 67 named by SPIE this year who are being honored this week are:
- Susan Davis Allen, Arkansas State University
- Fredric Marvin Ham, Florida Institute of Technology
- Sanjay Krishna, Center for High Technology Materials
- Kalluri Sarma, Honeywell Technology
- Alexander Toet, TNO Defence Security and Safety.
Luncheon speaker SPIE Fellow Larry Stotts of DARPA (below) told why free space optical communication and submarine laser communication have come under serious consideration.
Reception celebrates imaging hallmarks, unmanned vehicles
The well-attended all-symposium welcome reception treated attendees to two technology demonstrations -- one long-standing and one cutting-edge. An imaging gallery sponsored by StingRay and SPIE featured the infrared, high-speed, and other technologies on which SPIE was originally founded, with entries ranging from professional applications to artistic renditions. Inside the reception hall, FLIR offered attendees a chance to race unmanned vehicles around an obstacle course.
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