Near-infrared astronomy has become one of the most rapidly developing branches in modern astrophysics. Innovative observing techniques, near-infrared detectors with quantum efficiencies in excess of 90%, highly specialised instruments as well as advanced data reduction techniques have allowed major breakthroughs in various areas like exoplanets, star-forming regions, the supermassive black hole in the Galactic center, and the high-redshift Universe. In this book, the reader will be introduced to the basic concepts of how to prepare near-infrared observations with maximized scientific return. Equal weight is given to all aspects of the data reduction for both - imaging and spectroscopy. Information is also provided on the state of the art instrumentation available and planned, on detector technology or the physics of the atmosphere, all of which influence the preparation and execution of observations and data reduction techniques. The beginner but also the expert will find a lot of information in compact form which is otherwise widely dispersed across the internet or other sources.

This book is a sequel of The Physics of Quantum Well Infrared Photodetectors (1997), which covered the basic physics of QWIPs. In the intervening 27 years, QWIP properties pertinent to infrared detection are much better understood, and QWIP technology has become a mainstream, widely deployed infrared technology. The main progress is the ability to know the QWIP absorption quantum efficiency quantitatively through rigorous electromagnetic modeling. The lack of theoretical prediction has impeded QWIP development for a long time. Generally, an arbitrary choice of detector structures yields substantial variations of absorption properties, and QWIP was regarded as a low quantum efficiency detector. With the advent of electromagnetic modeling, quantum efficiency of any detector geometry can be known exactly and be optimized to attain a large satisfactory value. Consequently, all properties of QWIPs are predictable, not unlike prevailing silicon devices. This unique characteristic enables QWIP to be the most manufacturable long wavelength infrared technology in mass production. This book by K K Choi, a co-inventor of QWIPs, will capture this exciting development.Based on the materials expounded in the book, the reader will know key performance metrics in infrared detection, in-depth knowledge of QWIP material and structural designs, array production, its application, and practical knowledge of electromagnetic modeling. In addition, the book will describe using micro- and nano-structures to enhance the emission properties of active and passive optical emitters, similar to detectors. The application of rigorous electromagnetic modeling to optical emitters is new to the optoelectronic community. The resonator-pixel emitter structure with its modeling method will no doubt be able to attract substantial academic and industrial attention in years to come.

Comprehensive overview of the spectroscopic, mineralogical, and geochemical techniques used in planetary remote sensing.

Astronomy is an observational science, renewed and even revolutionized by new developments in instrumentation. With the resulting growth of multiwavelength investigation as an engine of discovery, it is increasingly important for astronomers to understand the underlying physical principles and operational characteristics for a broad range of instruments. This comprehensive text is ideal for graduate students, active researchers and instrument developers. It is a thorough review of how astronomers obtain their data, covering current approaches to astronomical measurements from radio to gamma rays. The focus is on current technology rather than the history of the field, allowing each topic to be discussed in depth. Areas covered include telescopes, detectors, photometry, spectroscopy, adaptive optics and high-contrast imaging, millimeter-wave and radio receivers, radio and optical/infrared interferometry, and X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy, all at a level that bridges the gap between the basic principles of optics and the subject's abundant specialist literature. Color versions of figures and solutions to selected problems are available online at www.cambridge.org/9780521762298.