The Advanced Imager Technology group at MIT Lincoln Laboratory designs and fabricates detectors and readout circuits for imaging applications in support of National Security and scientific exploration. The group has a long history of supplying silicon charge-coupled devices (CCDs) for the astronomy community, including detectors for the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) on Chandra, and the 1.3 gigapixel array for Pan-STARRS at the University of Hawaii. In addition to continuously improving the capabilities of our CCDs, our group has begun exploring use of other materials and devices for scientific applications. In this talk, we outline our progress in several of these new directions, including germanium detectors for hard X-ray and infrared astronomy, superconductor-based devices for photon and particle detection, and Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode arrays for LADAR and deep space optical communications.

Dr. Christopher W. Leitz is an Assistant Leader of the Advanced Imager Technology Group. He is currently researching the use of germanium for short-wave infrared and X-ray band imaging applications, as well as developing new methods for fabrication of advanced imaging devices.

Before coming to the Laboratory, Dr. Leitz worked at several start-up companies, most recently developing novel, low-cost photovoltaic cells for solar and thermal energy conversion. Dr. Leitz has authored or coauthored over 50 papers and conference proceedings in the fields of fabrication and analysis of semiconductor materials and devices. He has also been awarded 15 U.S. patents.

Dr. Leitz received a BS in materials science & engineering from the Pennsylvania State University in 1998, a PhD in materials science & engineering from MIT in 2002, and an MBA from MIT in 2007. His graduate research concerned growth and characterization of silicon-germanium materials for applications in microelectronics.