Research topics at Thales Research and Technology: Small pixels and third generation applications

Recent results obtained on building blocks for future third generation infrared focal plane arrays (FPAs) are presented. Our approach concerning the FPA performance assessment and small pixels modelling is exposed. We also demonstrate the ability of the quantum well infrared photodetector technology to answer the needs for compact (20 μm pitch) polarimetric FPAs. Finally, we present our first results on mid-wave infrared detectors at wavelengths below 4.2 μm.     

Commissioning of a multi‐beamline femtoslicing facility at SOLEIL

The investigation of ultrafast dynamics, taking place on the few to sub‐picosecond time scale, is today a very active research area pursued in a variety of scientific domains. With the recent advent of X‐ray free‐electron lasers (XFELs), providing very intense X‐ray pulses of duration as short as a few femtoseconds, this research field has gained further momentum. As a consequence, the demand for access strongly exceeds the capacity of the very few XFEL facilities existing worldwide. This situation motivates the development of alternative sub‐picosecond pulsed X‐ray sources among which femtoslicing facilities at synchrotron radiation storage rings are standing out due to their tunability over an extended photon energy range and their high stability. Following the success of the femtoslicing installations at ALS, BESSY‐II, SLS and UVSOR, SOLEIL decided to implement a femtoslicing facility. Several challenges were faced, including operation at the highest electron beam energy ever, and achievement of slice separation exclusively with the natural dispersion function of the storage ring. SOLEIL's setup also enables, for the first time, delivering sub‐picosecond pulses simultaneously to several beamlines. This last feature enlarges the experimental capabilities of the facility, which covers the soft and hard X‐ray photon energy range. In this paper, the commissioning of this original femtoslicing facility is reported. Furthermore, it is shown that the slicing‐induced THz signal can be used to derive a quantitative estimate for the degree of energy exchange between the femtosecond infrared laser pulse and the circulating electron bunch.     

A New Differential Method Applied to the Study of Arbitrary Cross Section Microstructured Optical Fibers

The present work adapts a recent grating theory called “Fast Fourier factorization” to cylindrical coordinates in order to study microstructured optical fibers (MOFs). Compared with the classical differential method, this new differential method takes into account the truncation of Fourier series and the discontinuities of the fields across the diffracting surface with the help of new factorization rules. The main advantage of this method is that the directrix of the diffracting cylindrical surface is arbitrary and permits anisotropic and inhomogeneous media although its numerical application needs longer computation time, compared with other well-known numerical methods. The S-propagation algorithm is used to avoid numerical contaminations. The numerical results are validated and compared with the well-established Multipole method in the case of a MOF with six circular cylinders. Further, a new cross-sectional profile (with sectorial inclusions) that the Multipole method cannot consider is studied.     

Intermediate scale inflation and metastable supersymmetry breaking

We investigate the possibility of obtaining a low scale of supersymmetry breaking within the ISS framework using a metastable vacuum. This is achieved by introducing an R   symmetry preserving gravitational coupling of the ISS sector to a relatively low scale inflationary sector. We find the allowed range for the supersymmetry breaking scale, ¹⁰⁴ GeV?μ?¹⁰⁸ GeV${10}^4\text{GeV}?\mu ?{10}^8\text{GeV}$, which is low enough to be amenable to gauge supersymmetry breaking mediation. This scenario is based upon a so-called hilltop inflation phase whose initial condition problem is also addressed.     

Local foliations and optimal regularity of Einstein spacetimes

We investigate the local regularity of pointed spacetimes, that is, time-oriented Lorentzian manifolds in which a point and a future-oriented, unit timelike vector (an observer) are selected. Our main result covers the class of Einstein vacuum spacetimes. Under curvature and injectivity bounds only, we establish the existence of a local coordinate chart defined in a ball with definite size in which the metric coefficients have optimal regularity. The proof is based on quantitative estimates for, on one hand, a constant mean curvature (CMC) foliation by spacelike hypersurfaces defined locally near the observer and, on the other hand, the metric in local coordinates that are spatially harmonic in each CMC slice. The results and techniques in this paper should be useful in the context of general relativity for investigating the long-time behavior of solutions to the Einstein equations.     

Enhanced quantum well infrared photodetector focal plane arrays for space applications

A 30 months European Space Agency project started in March 2008, whose overall purpose is to expand and assess the performance of broadband (11–15 μm) quantum detectors for spectro-imaging applications: Dispersive Spectrometers and Fourier Transform Spectrometers. We present here the technical requirements, the development approach chosen as well as preliminary experimental results. Our approach is fully compatible with the final array format (1024 × 256, pitch 50–60 μm). We expect the requested uniformity, operability and SNR levels to be achieved at temperatures close to the goal values. The performance level will be demonstrated on 256 × 256, 50 μm pitch arrays. Also, operability and uniformity issues will be addressed on large mechanical 1024 × 256 hybrid arrays.     

Aligned synthesis of multi-walled carbon nanotubes with high purity by aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition: Effect of water vapor

Aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with high purity and bulk yield were achieved on a silicon substrate by an aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition. The introduction of specific amounts of water vapor played a key role in in situ controlling the purity and surface defects of the nanotubes. The morphology, surface quality and structure of MWCNTs were characterized by secondary and backscattered electron imaging in a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Crystallinity and defects of the MWCNTs’ were investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and Raman spectroscopy. In this work, water vapor was found to provide a weak oxidative environment, which enhanced and purified the MWCNTs’ growth. However, excessive water vapor would inhibit the MWCNTs growth with a poor surface quality. In addition, it has been found that the surface morphology of the CNTs can be modified intentionally through producing some surface defects by tuning the amount of the water vapor, which may offer more nucleation sites on the chemically inert CNT surface for various applications such as catalyst support.     

Pump−probe experiments at the TEMPO beamline using the low‐α operation mode of Synchrotron SOLEIL

The SOLEIL synchrotron radiation source is regularly operated in special filling modes dedicated to pump–probe experiments. Among others, the low‐α mode operation is characterized by shorter pulse duration and represents the natural bridge between 50 ps synchrotron pulses and femtosecond experiments. Here, the capabilities in low‐α mode of the experimental set‐ups developed at the TEMPO beamline to perform pump–probe experiments with soft X‐rays based on photoelectron or photon detection are presented. A 282 kHz repetition‐rate femtosecond laser is synchronized with the synchrotron radiation time structure to induce fast electronic and/or magnetic excitations. Detection is performed using a two‐dimensional space resolution plus time resolution detector based on microchannel plates equipped with a delay line. Results of time‐resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, circular dichroism and magnetic scattering experiments are reported, and their respective advantages and limitations in the framework of high‐time‐resolution pump–probe experiments compared and discussed.     

Laser–Induced Fluorescence Detection of Carbamates Traces in Water

The absorption and fluorescence spectra of carbaryl (CB), carbofuran (CF) and carbendazim (MBC) have been studied. Fluorescence lifetime and fluorescence quantum yields are also reported as well as the influence of pH, solvent and presence of humic acids on fluorescence. The limit of detection (LD) of the three compounds has been measured by direct analysis by laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) using a pulsed YAG laser with an Optical Parametric Oscillator (OPO) as excitation source and an Intensified Charged Coupled Device (ICCD) camera for the fluorescence detection. Instrumental LD found for CB, for MBC and for CF are respectively 4, 50 and 1000 ng L⁻¹. In tap water, the LD obtained is 800 ng L⁻¹ for MBC and 20,000 ng L⁻¹ for CF. For CB, the use of a time shift between excitation and emission allows to reach a LD of 20 ng L⁻¹ in tap water.