Sofradir will demo a “HOT” infrared detector with very low power consumption at SPIE Defense and Security Symposium 2011

Sofradir’s HOT Scorpio TV format MWIR prototype is capable of operating at 150K (-123°C), and consumes less than 2W, about one-third the power of current industry standards. This makes its power consumption figures amongst the best for Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT/HgCdTe) IR detectors in the imaging industry.

The higher the temperature at which an IR detector can operate, the less power is required to cool it. Standard focal plane arrays (FPAs) made with MCT technology from Sofradir operate at around 90K (-183 °C); FPAs made with InSb (Indium Antimonide) technology operate around 77K (-196°C). By operating at 150K, the FPA in HOT Scorpio MWIR takes the power consumption and battery autonomy of IR systems a significant step forward.

“Sofradir is looking ahead to the opportunities that HOT Scorpio MWIR, which operates at 150K using less than 2W, will open up in systems aimed at optimizing size, weight and power (SWaP),” said Philippe Bensussan, chairman and CEO of Sofradir. “We are delighted to be demonstrating the new prototype at SPIE 2011, one of the biggest defense, security and environment industry events and a leading showroom for innovative solutions that will equip military forces in the future.”

HOT Scorpio MWIR responds to calls from military procurement agencies to reduce the weight of future combat equipment. Infantryman gear can weigh between 50lbs – 90lbs (22kg – 40kg) on average. Batteries contribute significantly to this weight. Thus, system engineers embrace any reduction in the power consumption of components that enables them to use smaller and lighter batteries or gain in battery autonomy.

The prototype is based on Sofradir’s (MCT) cutting-edge technology, a cooled high performance IR technology that the company uses to produce more than 4,000 IR detectors a year.

Sofradir will demonstrate its HOT Scorpio MWIR at booth Number 503 at SPIE 2011, one of the defense & security industry’s leading meetings for optronics. The international conference brings together top researchers, scientists and engineers from the military, industry and academia. Programs cover the latest enabling technologies and applications in infrared, sensors, image analysis, and other systems and devices.