Sofradir has demonstrated a prototype High Operating Temperature (HOT) infrared (IR) detector at SPIE 2011 Defense and Security symposium. 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 among 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.
Military procurement agencies want to reduce the weight of future combat equipment. 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.
