Type II Superlattice Detectors and Their Place in MWIR and LWIR Gas Sensing

Type II superlattice (T2SL) detectors were established since the 1970s, however only recently they have started to gain a steady foothold in the market. Their unique properties place them as a serious alternative for established detector technologies, especially in the demanding gas sensing market. This becomes one of the main markets for MWIR and LWIR detectors due to good gas absorption coefficients in these bands.

Mijas focuses on the unique construction, principle of operation and recent advancements in T2SL technology, including cascade detector layout. The presentation will also explore how T2SL fit in established gas sensing techniques, like NDIR, TDLAS and FTIR.

Requirements for the detectors for each of the techniques will be discussed, and comparison of T2SL with other types of detectors will be provided, indicating usual choices and possible alternatives.

About the presenter
Jedrzej Mijas has been working at VIGO Photonics as an Application Engineer since 2020, specializing in spectroscopy and gas sensing applications. During his studies at the University of Warsaw, where he earned a Master of Science degree, he gained broad theoretical knowledge and practical experience in IR optics. His expertise gained in academia was confirmed by his construction of a TDLAS system for trace ethane detection in human breath for his master's thesis.