UOE/2015/055/PF-Low-Read Noise Infrared Camera

Tender description

Astronomical and optical instruments. Specialist optical instruments. Optical instruments. Detection and analysis apparatus. Detection apparatus. The University of Exeter intends to purchase a fully integrated infrared camera system that is based on the SELEX/SAPHIRA e-APD detector and optimised for near-infrared imaging (wavelength range 1-2.5 micrometer) with kHz readout rates and sub-electron dark+read noise characteristics. The camera is needed for applications in the field of astronomical infrared interferometry, where short (millisecond) integration times are needed to freeze the atmospheric perturbations while low dark+read noise and high quantum efficiency (> 60%) are essential to detect the faint light from celestial objects. The electron initiated avalanche photodiode (e-APD) arrays provide a breakthrough in this respect, as they enable order-of-magnitude lower read noise than the earlier-generation HAWAII arrays