Joseph Talghader

Joseph Talghader works in the areas of infrared detection and optical instrumentation. In the first area, his group develops spectrally selective detectors. Spectral selectivity enables numerous uses in chemical sensing, air quality and engine monitoring, and petrochemical and industrial process control. All of these applications have significant market size and environmental impact. Tunable uncooled infrared detectors developed by the Optical Micro- and Nano-Systems Lab are capable of measuring arbitrary wavelengths across the long-wave infrared (l ~ 8-14mm). These devices currently have the highest uncooled detectivities yet produced. The Talghader group also develops optical instrumentation for sensing in the Polar Regions. These instruments include a high-resolution logger for identifying volcanic signatures in glacial ice and, currently, an RF logger to measure glacial conductivity as a proxy for dissolved ions.