Advantages of strained-layer superlattice detectors for high-speed thermal events

Type II Strained-Layer Superlattice detectors are currently being incorporated into hybridized infrared camera focal plane arrays for commercial applications. The detectors offer significant advantages over InSb and MCT detectors for certain application spaces, particularly high-speed imaging for industrial purposes, and military test ranges. The advantage over MWIR InSb sensors is driven by blackbody physics, which results in much higher emitted photon radiance values for target temperatures around ambient, as well as increased temperature dynamic range as a result of the lower thermal derivative in the LWIR band relative to the MWIR band.