Descripción del proyecto
Capturar las olas con alta resolución temporal para capear mejor las tormentas
Los satélites han hecho avanzar significativamente el ámbito de la observación de la Tierra, gracias a que portan instrumentación que nos ayuda a caracterizar y comprender los sistemas físicos, químicos y biológicos de la Tierra. Debido al aumento de la disponibilidad de satélites pequeños y de bajo coste, tenemos la oportunidad de mejorar significativamente la recopilación de datos y el conocimiento. En apoyo de ese esfuerzo, en el proyecto financiado con fondos europeos TERAFILT se están desarrollando radiómetros compactos de alta sensibilidad para aplicaciones de detección ambiental de observación de la Tierra. Los radiómetros miden la intensidad de la radiación electromagnética de ciertas longitudes de onda y frecuencias como microondas, terahercios o infrarrojos. Los nuevos radiómetros serán compatibles con pequeños satélites meteorológicos y permitirán actualizaciones en minutos en lugar de en horas, lo que mejorará significativamente nuestra capacidad de prever y gestionar los cada vez más frecuentes fenómenos meteorológicos graves.
Objetivo
This project proposes a new architecture of sub-terahertz (THz) radiometers, which, for the first time, allows to combine high frequency selectivity, high sensitivity and high compactness, intended to be used in Earth-observation environmental sensing applications.
There exists two radiometer detector types: 1) direct-detectors have best-possible sensitivity, but poor frequency selectivity, even when equipped with superconductive filters which require bulky and energy-demanding cryogenic cooling systems; 2) heterodyne-receivers, which are compact and have excellent frequency selectivity, but have inherently inferior signal-to-noise ratio.
The PI, in his ERC CoG, has developed a new terahertz technology enabled by silicon micromachining, and has demonstrated world-record breaking narrow-band filters at sub-THz frequencies (Q=800 at 450 GHz, 1600 at 150 GHz), which, even at room temperature, are superior in performance to state-of-the-art THz filters requiring cryogenic cooling. Furthermore, he has developed a micromachined waveguide switch technology with unprecedented on/off ratio (insertion loss of 0.6 dB, isolation of 50 dB at 220 GHz). These results will be combined for the first time to a new direct-detector based radiometer architecture, enabled by a proposed micromachined switched-filter bank. Such a compact and high-performance radiometer can even be utilized in CubeSat high-density weather-satellite constellations, which are predicted to replace current weather satellites and enable a weather update every 15 minutes as opposed to several hours, which is required for dynamic monitoring for instance the development of severe storms. A proof-of-concept demonstrator for measuring the 183 GHz water line, capable of resolving sub-spectral lines at highest-possible sensitivity, will be implemented and tested in academic and space-industry environment, and appropriate innovation management and exploitation measures are taken in the project.
Ámbito científico
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringthermodynamic engineering
- social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managementinnovation management
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringsatellite technology
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrymetalloids
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
ERC-POC-LS - ERC Proof of Concept Lump Sum PilotInstitución de acogida
100 44 Stockholm
Suecia