Descrizione del progetto
Catturare le onde con elevata risoluzione temporale e affrontare meglio le tempeste
I satelliti hanno compiuto notevoli progressi nel campo dell’osservazione della Terra, portando con sé una strumentazione che ci aiuta a caratterizzare e comprendere i sistemi fisici, chimici e biologici terrestri. Con la crescente disponibilità di satelliti piccoli e poco costosi, abbiamo l’opportunità di migliorare significativamente la raccolta dei dati e la conoscenza. Sostenendo questo sforzo, il progetto TERAFILT, finanziato dall’UE, sta sviluppando radiometri altamente sensibili e compatti destinati ad applicazioni di rilevamento ambientale per l’osservazione della Terra. I radiometri misurano l’intensità della radiazione elettromagnetica di determinate lunghezze d’onda e frequenze come microonde, terahertz o infrarossi. I nuovi radiometri saranno compatibili con i piccoli satelliti meteorologici e consentiranno aggiornamenti nell’ordine dei minuti piuttosto che delle ore, migliorando significativamente la nostra capacità di prevedere e gestire eventi meteorologici estremi sempre più frequenti.
Obiettivo
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.
Campo scientifico
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringthermodynamic engineering
- social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managementinnovation management
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringsatellite technology
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrymetalloids
Programma(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
ERC-POC-LS - ERC Proof of Concept Lump Sum PilotIstituzione ospitante
100 44 Stockholm
Svezia