Title: Integrated Photonic Spectrometer for Sustainable Land Imaging - Technology
Presenting Author: Stephanie Sandor-Leahy
Organization: Northrop Grumman
Co-Author(s): Richard Davis, Augusto Gutierrez-Aitken, Mark Knight, Dan Kultran, Lushalan Liao, KK Loi, Ben Poust, Wayne Yoshida

Abstract:
Northrop Grumman is in the third year of the NASA Earth Science Technology Office Sustainable Land Imaging - Technology (SLI-T) program to build and demonstrate a fully integrated photonic hyperspectral imaging spectrometer. In an analogous manner to integrated circuits, lithographically patterned waveguides and planar lightwave circuits replace discrete free-space optical components and enable miniaturized sensor packages that acquire data in modes not possible with current imaging instruments. This talk will describe an application of photonics where waveguides are forming the core of an integrated sensor. We will present progress on the key hardware developments including: 1 - waveguides that are optimized for the critical parameters of optical performance, packing density and manufacturability and 2 - a custom digital readout integrated circuit (ROIC) designed to provide high performance while meeting our unusual packaging requirements. We will summarize our program's advancements towards the realization of the integrated instrument.