Optical Magnetometry

Some of the most sensitive methods of measuring magnetic fields utilize interactions of resonant light with atomic vapor. Recent developments in this vibrant field are improving magnetometers in many traditional areas such as measurement of geomagnetic anomalies and magnetic fields in space, and are opening the door to new ones, including, dynamical measurements of bio-magnetic fields, detection of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI), inertial-rotation sensing, magnetic microscopy with cold atoms, and tests of fundamental symmetries of Nature.Comment: 11 pages; 4 figures; submitted to Nature Physic

Advanced MCT technologies at LETI for space applications

This document is a recap of an oral presentation made at Nice during the INSU Astrophysics Detector Workshop 2008. It aims at giving an overview of the achievements and ongoing developments presently carried out at CEA-LETI in the field of Infrared focal plane array. Although most of the research actually performed at LETI is not driven by space oriented application, the excellence and the cutting edge of the outcome is or can be applied to space-dedicated components. This paper focus on features and developments from which astrophysics observation would benefit in the near future on the European market. This encompassed “traditionnal” developments such as format enlargement, low dark current technology such as p/n structure but it also shade light on promising and thrilling development such as avalanche photodiode array. It eventually gives some hints of none MCT technologies processed at LETI

Development of Electron Beam Induced Current for diffusion length determination of VLWIR HgCdTe and MWIR T2SL based photodetectors

International audienc

Ultra-Low Dark Current HgCdTe Detector in SWIR for Space Applications

International audienceThis paper presents recent developments at Commissariat A l'Energie atomique, Laboratoire d'Electronique et de Technologie de l'Information infrared laboratory on processing and characterization of p-on-n HgCdTe (MCT) planar infrared focal plane arrays (FPAs) in short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectral band for the astrophysics applications. These FPAs have been grown using both liquid phase epitaxy and molecular beam epitaxy on a lattice-matched CdZnTe substrate. This technology exhibits lower dark current and lower series resistance in comparison with n-on-p vacancy-doped architecture and is well adapted for low flux detection or high operating temperature. This architecture has been evaluated for space applications in long-wave infrared and very-long-wave infrared spectral bands with cut-off wavelengths from 10 mu m up to 17 mu m at 78 K and is now evaluated for the SWIR range. The metallurgical nature of the absorbing layer is also examined and both molecular beam epitaxy and liquid phase epitaxy have been investigated. Electro-optical characterizations have been performed on individual photodiodes from test arrays, whereas dark current investigation has been performed with a fully functional readout integrated circuit dedicated to low flux operations