Large Scientific CMOS detector development

CCDs have been the mainstay of scientific detectors in the visible wavelengths for 50 years. The explosion of commercial technology development in CMOS sensors over the last 10 years has ushered us to the doorstep of a new revolution in scientific detectors for the visible wavelengths using CMOS technology. Several developments over the last years have shown that single-photon sensitivity is possible and science-quality detectors in large array sizes can be manufactured.

The ESO Technology Development program is developing a large-format scientific CMOS detector to be used in future visible wavelength instruments on the VLT and ELT. We are seeking a PhD student or Research Fellow to work together with ESO engineers to define the requirements for this next generation of scientific sensor, work with manufacturers to develop a prototype, and test the prototypes of this CMOS detector in the labs at ESO. The project will conclude with an evaluation of the performance of this device for future ESO instruments.