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The performance of a 10 mm diameter pyroelectric detector coated with a single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) was evaluated in the 0.8 to 20 [micro]m wavelength range. The relative spectral responsivity of this detector exhibits significant fluctuations over the wavelength range examined. This is consistent with independent absorbance measurements, which show that SWCNTs exhibit selective absorption bands in the visible and near-infrared. The performance of the detector in terms of noise equivalent power and detectivity in wavelength regions of high coating absorptivity was comparable with gold-black-coated pyroelectric detectors based on 50 [micro]m thick LiTa[O.sub.3] crystals. The response of this detector was shown to be nonlinear for DC equivalent photocurrents > [10.sup.-9] A, and its spatial uniformity of response was comparable with other pyroelectric detectors utilizing gold-black coatings. The nonuniform spectral responsivity exhibited by the SWCNT-coated detector is expected to severely restrict the use of SWCNTs as black coatings for thermal detectors. However, the deposition of SWCNT coatings on a pyroelectric crystal followed by the study of the prominence of the spectral features in the relative spectral responsivity of the resultant pyroelectric detectors is shown to provide an effective method for quantifying the impurity content in SWCNT samples. OCIS codes: 040.3060, 160.4236.

The nonlinearity characteristics of a commercially available deuterated L-alanine-doped triglycine sulfate (DLATGS) pyroelectric detector were experimentally investigated at high levels of illumination using the National Physical Laboratory detector linearity characterization facility. The detector was shown to exhibit a superlinear response at high levels of illumination. Moreover, the linearity factor was shown to depend on the area of the spot on the detector active area being illuminated, i.e., the incident irradiance. Possible reasons for the observed behavior are proposed and discussed. The temperature coefficient of the response of the DLATGS pyroelectric detector was measured and found to be higher than +2.5%[degree][C.sup.-1]. This large and positive temperature coefficient of response is the most likely cause of the superlinear behavior of the DLATGS pyroelectric detector. OCIS codes: 040.3060, 040.5160, 120.5630.

The nonlinearity characteristics of a number of LiTa[O.sub.3] pyroelectric detectors were experimentally investigated using the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) detector linearity characterization facility. All the detectors examined were shown to exhibit a superlinear response, i.e., the responsivity of the detectors increases as the incident radiant power increases. The temperature coefficient of response of some of these LiTa[O.sub.3] pyroelectric detectors was measured and found to be approximately +0.2%[degrees] [C.sup.-1]. The superlinear behavior of the LiTa[O.sub.3] pyroelectric detectors was attributed to the positive temperature coefficient of response values of these detectors. Moreover, the linearity factor of gold-black-coated LiTa[O.sub.3] pyroelectric detectors was shown to exhibit a dependency on the area of the spot illuminating the active area of the detector, i.e., on the incident irradiance. Possible reasons for the observed behavior are proposed and discussed. Some variations in the slopes of the plots of the linearity factor versus irradiance for different areas being illuminated have been assigned to the poor spatial uniformity of response of these detectors. OCIS codes: 040.3060, 040.5160, 120.5630.

In applications where low signal-to-noise ratios are encountered, the use of phase-sensitive detection (PSD) is highly advantageous and is applied widely. However, the characteristics of lock-in amplifiers that utilize the PSD technique, such as the linearity of the output and the gain of these instruments, have not been extensively evaluated. The author proposes a method for measuring the linearity characteristics of lock-in amplifiers and describes how this method was used to measure the linearity factor of three nominally identical commercially available digital lock-in amplifiers. The results of this study show that the linearity factor of these lock-in amplifiers can deviate from unity by more than 0.1% over a factor of 2 change in output. Moreover, the linearity characteristics of these lock-in amplifiers vary from one instrument to the next. The linearity characteristics were shown to be independent of the reference frequency, the time constant, and the temporal profile of the signal being analyzed. However, they were found to be dependent on the sensitivity settings of these instruments. The linearity characteristics of these instruments were observed not to change with time. This implies that, where the uncertainty contribution due to the nonlinearity of a lock-in amplifier is significant, the nonlinearity can be evaluated by using the method described in this article and can be used to apply corrections. OCIS codes: 000.2170, 120.1880, 120.3930.

The spectral responsivity of HgCdTe detectors operating in the thermal infrared region was observed to drift slowly with time. The characteristics of the drift were investigated and were shown to have a different origin from the drifts previously reported by one of the authors. Those drifts were caused by a thin film of water ice depositing on the active area of the cold detector. The source of the new drift is far more serious because it is fundamental, making the acquisition of accurate radiometric measurements with these detectors very difficult. It is demonstrated that the source of the new drift is the nonlinearity in the response of the HgCdTe detectors, coupled with the fluctuations of the irradiance reaching them. These fluctuations are due to variations in the thermal background caused by changes in the temperature of objects in the field of view of the detectors. This phenomenon is expected to provide a practical limit to the accuracy of radiometric measurements using not only HgCdTe detectors but also other detectors whose linearity is a function of the thermal background. OCIS odes: 040.0040, 040.3060, 120.1880.

The performance of a pyroelectric detector with a carbon multiwalled nanotube coating was evaluated in the 0.9-14 [micro]m wavelength range. The relative spectral responsivity of this detector was shown to be flat over most of the wavelength range examined, and the spectral flatness was shown to be comparable to the best infrared black coatings currently available. This finding is promising because black coatings with spectrally flat absorbance profiles are usually associated with the highest absorbance values. The performance of the detector (in terms of noise equivalent power and specific detectivity) was limited by the very thick (250 [micro]m thick) LiNb[O.sub.3] pyroelectric crystal onto which the coating was deposited. The responsivity of this detector was shown to be linear in the 0.06-2.8 mW radiant power range, and its spatial uniformity was comparable to that of other pyroelectric detectors that use different types of black coating. The carbon nanotube coatings were reported to be much more durable than other infrared black coatings, such as metal blacks, that are commonly used to coat thermal detectors in the infrared. This, in combination with their excellent spectral flatness, suggests that carbon nanotube coatings appear extremely promising for thermal detection applications in the infrared. OCIS codes: 040.3060, 160.1890.

Blackbody sources at near-ambient temperature are routinely used to calibrate infrared instruments used in remote sensing and thermal imaging applications to measure radiance and radiation temperature. The measured temperature of the blackbody and its calculated effective emissivity determine its radiance and radiation temperature according to Planck's law. The temperature measurement is generally accomplished with a contact thermometer which is calibrated against the international Temperature Scale (iTS-90). The ammonia heat-pipe blackbody of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Germany is a primary source standard working over a wide spectral range with low uncertainties, i.e. less than 33 mK at 10 µm in the temperature range from -60 °C to 50 °C. A more direct method of absolute radiance measurement is to use an absolutely calibrated radiometer, calibrated against a primary detector standard, the cryogenic radiometer. AMBER (Absolute Measurements of Blackbody Emitted Radiance) is an absolutely calibrated radiometer of the Optical Measurement Group of the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in the UK which was specially designed to determine the radiance and hence the radiation temperature of near-ambient-temperature blackbodies. When AMBER is operated at short wavelengths, where photodetectors offering good long-term stability exist, it derives its traceability through the cryogenic radiometer. However, available photodetectors operating in the 8 µm to 12 im wavelength range offer poor long-term stability so when AMBER is used in this wavelength range, the NPL radiance temperature scale is based on a gallium fixed-point blackbody operating at 29.7646 °C (ITS-90). At other radiance temperatures, the NPL scale also relies on the gallium fixed-point blackbody but requires the calibration of the relative spectral irradiance responsivity of the AMBER radiometer (done against NPL spectral responsivity standards), measurement of the radiometric zero, as well as the use of Planck's equation. This paper gives the results of a comparison of the radiation temperature scale of the PTB with the radiation temperature scale of NPL in a temperature range from -57 °C to 50 °C for wavelengths around 10 µm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate improved manufacturability of spectrally flat detectors for visible to mid-infrared wavelengths by characterizing a carbon nanotube spray coating compatible with lithium tantalate and other thermal sensors. Compared against previous spray coatings, it demonstrated the highest responsivity yet attained due to both higher absorptivity and thermal diffusivity, while also being matured to a commercially available product. It demonstrated spectral nonuniformity from 300 nm to 12 μm less than 1% with uncertainty (k=2) under 0.4%. The spatial nonuniformity of the assembled sensor was less than 0.5% over the central half (4 mm) of the absorber. As with previous developments employing isotropic carbon nanotube coatings, the absorber surface was sufficiently robust to withstand cleaning by compressed air blast and survived repeated vacuum cycling without measurable impact upon responsivity.

The fabrication of NanoTube Black, a Vertically Aligned carbon NanoTube Array (VANTA) on aluminium substrates is reported for the first time. The coating on aluminium was realised using a process that employs top down thermal radiation to assist growth, enabling deposition at temperatures below the substrate's melting point. The NanoTube Black coatings were shown to exhibit directional hemispherical reflectance values of typically less than 1% across wavelengths in the 2.5 µm to 15 µm range. VANTA-coated aluminium substrates were subjected to space qualification testing (mass loss, outgassing, shock, vibration and temperature cycling) before their optical properties were re-assessed. Within measurement uncertainty, no changes to hemispherical reflectance were detected, confirming that NanoTube Black coatings on aluminium are good candidates for Earth Observation (EO) applications.

We introduce a technique for measuring detection efficiency that is traceable to the primary standard, the cryogenic radiometer, through a reference silicon photodiode trap detector. The trap detector, used in conjunction with a switched integrator amplifier, can measure signals down to the 0.1 pW (3 x 10⁵ photons second-1) level with 0.1% uncertainty in a total integration time of 300 seconds. This provides a convenient calibration standard for measurements at these levels across the optical spectrum (UV - near IR). A second technique is also described, based on correlated photons produced via parametric down-conversion. This can be used to directly measure detection efficiency in the photon counting regime, and provides a route for expanding the formulation of the candela in terms of photon flux to enable it to address the needs of emerging quantum optical technologies and applications. The two independent techniques were cross-validated by a comparison carried out at 702.2 nm, which showed agreement to within 0.2%.

Temperature and nonlinearity effects are two important factors that limit the use of photodiode array spectrometers. Usually the spectrometer is calibrated at a known temperature against a reference source of a particular spectral radiance, and then it is used at different temperatures to measure sources of different spectral radiances. These factors are expected to be problematic for nontemperature-stabilized instruments used for in-the-field experiments, where the radiant power of the site changes continuously with the sun tilt. This paper describes the effect of ambient temperature on a nontemperature-stabilized linear photodiode array spectrometer over the temperature range from 5 °C to 40 °C. The nonlinearity effects on both signal amplification and different levels of radiant power have also been studied and are presented in this paper.

Some issues on the method used by Zhang et al. [Appl. Spectrosc. 51, 576 (1997)] to correct for the nonlinearity of a HgCdTe detector in Fourier transform spectrometry measurements are discussed in response to comments by Zhang. Other problems that must be taken into consideration before the effects of detector nonlinearity of HgCdTe detectors are fully accounted for in FT spectrometry are highlighted.

The nonlinearity characteristics of a commercially available thin-film photoconductive PbS detector were experimentally investigated in the infrared using the National Physical Laboratory detector linearity characterization facility. The deviation from linearity of this detector was shown to be significant even for relatively low values of radiant power incident on the active area of the detector. For example, the linearity factor was approximately 0.8 when 0.6 microW of radiant power at a wavelength of 2.2 microm was illuminating a spot of 1 mm in diameter on the active area of the PbS detector. These figures demonstrate the poor linearity characteristics of this detector and provide a warning to other users of PbS detection systems. The deviation from linearity was shown to be a function of the size of the spot being illuminated on the detector active area, as well as the wavelength of the incident radiation. The deviation from linearity was shown to be a function of irradiance illuminating the detector for irradiance values lower than 1 microW mm(-2).

The spectral responsivity of two cryogenically cooled InSb detectors was observed to drift slowly with time. The origin of these drifts was investigated and was shown to occur due to a water-ice thin film that was deposited onto the active areas of the cold detectors. The presence of the ice film (which is itself a dielectric film) modifies the transmission characteristics of the antireflection coatings deposited on the active areas of the detectors, thus giving rise to the observed drifts. The magnitude of the drifts was drastically reduced by evacuating the detector dewars while baking them at 50 degrees C for approximately 48 h. All InSb detectors have antireflection coatings to reduce the Fresnel reflections and therefore enhance their spectral responsivity. This work demonstrates that InSb infrared detectors should be evacuated and baked at least annually and in some cases (depending on the quality of the dewar and the measurement uncertainty required) more frequently. These observations are particularly relevant to InSb detectors mounted in dewars that use rubber O rings since the ingress of moisture was found to be particularly serious in this type of dewar.

The spectral responsivity of commercially available InSb detectors with low-pass cold filters attached to their cold shields for optimum operation in the 1.6-2.6 microm wavelength range is observed to drift slowly with time. These drifts are shown to arise because of a thin film of water-ice deposited on the cold low-pass filters mounted on the cold shields of the detectors. The temporal characteristics of these drifts are shown to strongly depend on wavelength. A model is proposed for the behavior of the water present in the Dewar vacuum, which can explain and predict the temporal characteristics of the observed drifts for all wavelengths. These observations are particularly relevant to space instruments that use cryogenically cooled IR filter radiometers for Earth observation. The temporal profile of drifts observed in missions such as Landsat-5 is identical to that observed in cryogenically cooled filtered InSb detectors during laboratory measurements. This study confirms that the deposition of a thin film of a material such as ice on the cold bandpass filters and windows is therefore the most likely source of the oscillatory drifts observed in the response of some of the channels of the ATSR-2, Landsat-4, and Landsat-5 Earth observation missions.

The nonlinearity characteristics of photoconductive and photovoltaic HgCdTe detectors were experimentally investigated in the infrared wavelength region by use of the National Physical Laboratory detector linearity measurement facility. The nonlinearity of photoconductive HgCdTe detectors was shown to be a function of irradiance rather than the total radiant power incident on the detector. Photoconductive HgCdTe detectors supplied by different vendors were shown to have similar linearity characteristics for wavelengths around 10 microm. However, the nonlinearity of response of a photovoltaic HgCdTe detector was shown to be significantly lower than the corresponding value for photoconductive HgCdTe detectors at the same wavelength.