Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Grumman Aerospace Corporation

Alvin Gartenberg

David I Durst

An optical sensor comprising a focal plane, a toggle mirror and an electronics plane. The focal plane includes a multitude of unit cells; and each of the unit cells has a given surface area on the focal plane and includes an optical detector, a real pixel and at least one virtual pixel. The optical detector of each unit cell includes a detector surface that defines the real pixel of the unit cell, and the optical detectors of the sensor are spaced apart and the virtual pixels of the sensor are formed by the spaces between the optical detectors. The toggle mirror directs an image onto the focal plane and steps each of the pixels of the focal plane over one of the optical detectors so that those detectors generate electric signals representing the intensity of light incident on the pixels. The electronics plane of the sensor includes a multitude of electronic circuits and each of these circuits receives and amplifies the electric signals from a respective one of the optical detectors. The electronics plane is located immediately rearward of the focal plane, and each of the electronic circuits has a substantially planar configuration and has a surface area on the electronics plane less that the given surface area of a respective one of the unit cells.

Optical sensor with mirror toggling

A detector interface system communicates signals between an infrared detector element maintained in a cryogenic environment and associated signal processing circuitry maintained in a non-cryogenic environment. An optical modulator disposed within the cryogenic environment in electrical communication with the infrared detector element converts the electrical output of the infrared detector element into an optical output signal representative thereof. An optical demodulator disposed in the non-cryogenic environment converts the optical output signal of the optical modulator into an electrical signal. The optical demodulator is an electrical communication with the signal processing circuitry. An optical path from the optical modulator to the optical demodulator provides thermal isolation between the infrared detector element and its associated signal processing circuitry and minimizes detector bias so as to mitigate 1/f noise.

Growing community of inventors

Dix Hills, NY, United States of America

Alvin Gartenberg