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Terahertz Imaging Focal-plane Technology (TIFT)
The Terahertz Imaging Focal-plane Technology (TIFT) program will demonstrate a large, multi-element detector receiver focal plane arrays that respond to radiation in the THz band (> 0.557 THz). The sensor system will be able to operate effectively at standoff range with a high spatial resolution limited only by beam diffraction. The system developed will be consistent with man-portability. The imaging receiver will produce a two-dimensional (2D) image in which each pixel records the relative intensity of the THz radiation received on the focal plane within the appropriate section of the field of view of the scene being sensed. The program will achieve intensity sensitivities as close as possible to the thermal background limit at room temperature and at video-rate. The size, weight, and electrical power requirements will be consistent with portability.
The Phase I effort will be focused on the demonstration of revolutionary component and integration technologies necessary for the development of a diffraction-limited, video-rate THz frequency imaging imager. One objective will be the demonstration of a compact THz source achieving at least 10 mW of average power and 1% wallplug efficiency, as required for active illumination and/or for local oscillators in heterodyne or homodyne detection schemes. A second objective will be demonstration of a THz receiver capable of achieving a noise equivalent power of less than 1 pW/Hz1/2 as measured with an integration acquisition time of no more than 30 ms and a pre-detection bandwidth of no more than 50 GHz, as required in order to achieve a system-level noise equivalent delta temperature of 1K or better.