Sydor Technologies & the Laboratory for Laser Energetics Look to Redefine “Ultrafast” in Diagnostic Light Detection
ROCHESTER, N.Y., [June 22, 2021] ‒ Sydor Technologies, a global provider of advanced x-ray detectors and diagnostic instrumentation for critical science missions and fundamental research, is pleased to announce that they have been awarded a $200,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant in collaboration with the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) at the University of Rochester. This grant will be used to investigate the commercial viability of a tunable wavelength, ultra-fast photodiode with a response time less than 50 picoseconds and high quantum efficiency in ultraviolet and x-ray wavelengths. No currently supported commercial photodiode matches these features. By experimenting with variations in semiconductor materials and employing novel electrode structures, the output of this ambitious collaboration will address the needs of fusion, high energy density physics (HED), and x-ray free electron laser facilities performing ultrafast timing measurements.
Sydor has a rich history of collaborating with scientists at leading universities to commercialize important advances in scientific diagnostic research, including the recent success of the Mixed Mode Pixel Array Detector (MM-PAD). This history combined with Sydor’s strengths in chemistry, physics, electronics, and aptitude for translating state-of-the-art technology into the delivery of commercially viable complex instruments are exactly what drives the collaboration with LLE. Dr. Valerie Fleischauer, Technology Development Scientist at Sydor Technologies, remarked, “The multidisciplinary engineering and scientific expertise at Sydor and the LLE will help to bring ultrafast photodiode technology out of the lab and in to the hands of scientists as a robust, easily deployable commercial device. I look forward to continuing the collaborative history with the LLE through this project that will provide unmatched ultrafast detection of ultraviolet and x-ray pulses to the HED community.”
Professor William Donaldson and his graduate students working at the LLE developed the technology required for the realization of these new detectors. By using new high-quality materials, the University of Rochester team produced a metal-semiconductor-metal photodiode fabricated on AlGaN devices that can resolve 25-ps ultraviolet pulses. Typically, ultraviolet photodiodes have response times nearly 100 times greater, limiting their applicability to high-bandwidth measurements. Bringing together the research team at LLE and Sydor Technologies through this SBIR will form the team that can bring this technology to the marketplace enabling critical measurements. Mike Campbell, Director at LLE said “We are grateful to DOE for recognizing the promise of this technology and the quality of the team of Sydor, the University of Rochester, and LLE. LLE is committed to expanding our partnerships with local companies such as Sydor and helping to create high quality jobs with impactful technology to benefit our local economy.”
About Sydor Technologies
Sydor Technologies is a global leader providing complex measurement solutions that generate critical results for the world’s most advanced applications in the defense, energy, ballistics, security, space, and research industries. Established in 2004 through technology originally transferred in collaboration with LLE, Sydor Technologies is headquartered in Rochester, NY and supplies systems and support in over 33 countries. For additional information, please visit www.SydorTechnologies.com.
About Laboratory for Laser Energetics
The LLE was established at the University in 1970 and is the largest US Department of Energy university-based research program in the nation primarily supported by the National Nuclear Security Administration as an integral part of its Stockpile Stewardship Program. Research at the LLE is also funded by the DOE’s Office of Science, the National Science Foundation, and New York State.
As a center for the investigation of the interaction of intense radiation with matter, the LLE is a unique national resource for research and education in science and technology. Current research includes exploring fusion as a future source of energy, developing new laser and materials technologies, and better understanding high-energy-density phenomena. In addition to its vital roles in various areas of scientific research and its support of the local high-tech economy, the LLE plays an important role in educating the next generation of scientists and engineers. For more information, please visit https://www.lle.rochester.edu.