The QWIP Detector; an Infrared Instrument

  • Released Wednesday, August 15, 2012
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All objects emit infrared radiation and the characteristics of the infrared radiation are primarily dependent on the temperature of the object. One of the unique features of the new Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector (QWIP) instrument technology is the ability to, what engineers call "band gap." This means it can spectrally respond to specific wavelengths. This video shows the evolution of taking this instrument from inception, to testing on the ground and from a plane, and ultimately to a NASA science mission. The applications are range from finding caves on Mars to loking for thermal polution in rivers or residual hot spots in forest fires, or monitoring food spoilage.

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Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

This page was originally published on Wednesday, August 15, 2012.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:52 PM EDT.

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Tapes

This visualization originally appeared on the following tapes:
  • Quantum Well Infrared Photodector (QWIP) (ID: 2012053)
    Wednesday, August 15, 2012 at 4:00AM
    Produced by - Tim Carnahan (NASA)