DEVELOPMENT OF A WIDEBAND THZ FOCAL PLANE ARRAY FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS

This thesis builds upon the research being conducted in the Sensor Research Laboratory in the Physics Department at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in collaboration with the Space Systems Academic Group. The goal is to contribute to the development of MEMS terahertz (THz) to infrared (IR) converters for real-time imaging, with potential applications to the space environment. The NPS MEMS THz-to-IR converters are typically thermal sensors, with one side sensitive to THz and the other side emissive in the long wave infrared (LWIR). The sensor heats up upon absorbing incoming THz radiation, and the subsequent rise in temperature can be probed by a commercial LWIR camera. A focal plane array (FPA) of such sensors translates the THz scene to an IR image, captured by the camera. The simplicity of this concept allows the FPA to be used as a simple attachment for IR cameras. The main advantage of this approach is that there is no need for electronics or complex optical readouts, making it very attractive for use in small satellites. The objective of this thesis is to design a MEMS THz-to-IR converter FPA with broadband capabilities. The main requirements are sensitivity between 0.5 and 10 THz and emissivity only on the band of the LWIR camera (7–14 μm). The research is constrained by requirements that allow integration onto a CubeSat (Cubic Compartmentalized Satellite) for concept demonstration in the space environment (specifically low Earth orbit) in future work.Lieutenant, United States NavyApproved for public release. distribution is unlimite