Terahertz pyroelectric detectors

QMC Instruments Ltd. has a new line of room temperature pyroelectric Terahertz detectors. The first of these detectors was supplied in August 2009 with the two spectrometers delivered to the Purple Mountain Observatory.

Pyro1346PMO



Preliminary performance specification, pending further testing

PyroSignal
Measurement of the pyroelectric detector signal as a function of frequency
PyroNoise

Typical pyroelectric detector noise spectrum measured at the output of the amplifier

Pyroelectric detector features

  • Room temperature operation
  • Integrated amplifier
  • 5V to 9V (battery or external) power supply
  • 50 ohm bnc output
  • Winston optical cone coupling to the detector. For example f/3 optics with 15mm diameter entrance aperture
  • 20THz low-pass mesh filter mounted on the cone entrance aperture as standard. Other LP filter (reduced bandwidth) options available at 0.3THz, 1THz, 3THz and 10THz
  • Optical performance:
Modulation frequency (Hz) 10 20 40 80 160 320
Calculated Sopt at Amp. Output (VW-1) 18 300 18 200 18 200 16 000 11 600 5600
Amplifier Voltage Gain 20 40 80 140 200 200
Noise (uV Hz-1/2) 8 8.5 9 9.5 9 7
Calculated NEPopt (nW Hz-1/2) 0.44 0.47 0.50 0.60 0.78 1.25

Figures assume 50% in-band atmospheric attenuation

 

Edited Nov09