Translating Infrared Component Performance Into Detection and Imaging Success

In infrared detection and imaging, system-level performance—such as sensitivity, resolution, frame rate, and detection range—is directly influenced by component-level specifications, which can significantly affect cost and complexity.

Translating system requirements into component-level terms requires a clear understanding of how optics, electronics, and physical principles interact, and how factors like temperature, integration time, and spectral range impact performance. For example, a need for high sensitivity in low-light SWIR applications should be expressed as requiring high D* and low dark current at the target wavelength.

This translation helps identify performance bottlenecks, guide appropriate sensor selection, and avoid over- or under-specifying components.

The webinar will provide a practical framework for interpreting application needs and effectively communicating them to IR component suppliers—ensuring alignment on performance and cost, and enabling more informed, efficient product development.

About Albert Tu
Albert Tu is a marketing engineer for Hamamatsu Corporation in Bridgewater, NJ, specializing in NIR applications and image sensors. After graduating from college, he held positions in product design, technical support, and product management in the optical industry. He returned to business school to get his master’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin. With over 10 years of hands-on experience in product development and new technology implementation, he now provides insights to help customers find the right solution for their technology.

About Gary Spingarn
Gary Spingarn is a product manager with Hamamatsu Corporation, where he focuses on detectors and light sources for the MIR region. As a chemical engineer, Spingarn made his start in industrial gases where he gained hands on experience in all sorts of processes such as steel mills, plastics manufacturing, and alternative energy. Photonic devices were key in many of his past projects, and he began with the spectrometer group before moving into mid-infrared components. Leveraging experience, Spingarn continues to support the development of gas analyzers, analytical instruments, medical devices, pyrometers, and new applications.