Sofradir designs its first supersize near infrared detector in 15-micron pitch for space observation programs
The ALFA, a 2048x 2048 15 microns pixel pitch SWIR detector,
will meet new performance needs for future ESA scientific space missions and for instruments used in extremely large telescopes for ground-based astronomy
Sofradir will display a range of high-performance IR detectors and large format models for space applications during the Paris Air Show, hall 2B G79, June 19 – 25, 2017
Sofradir, the global leader in advanced infrared (IR) detectors for aerospace, defense and commercial markets, today announces it is developing its first very large format (2048×2048) 15?m-pitch infrared detector. The supersize IR detector is designed for future scientific space observation equipment and state-of-the-art Extremely Large Telescopes (ELT) for ground observation aimed at tackling major scientific challenges.
The ALFA 2Kx2K (Astronomy Large Focal Array) 15 microns pitch short-wave infrared detector will provide the highest levels of performance in Quantum Efficiency (QE), dark current and noise in order to optimize IR observations for astrophysicists.
Sofradir is collaborating with leading French research centers CEA-Leti in Grenoble and CEA-IRFU in Paris to develop the ALFA near-infrared detector through an ESA initiative. Sofradir plans to deliver a fully characterized low-flux, low-noise ALFA prototype in Q1 2019.