Sandia Labs FY22 Laboratory Directed Research & Development Annual Report

FY22 ANNUAL REPORT

INVESTIGATION OF MICROCALORIMETER PHOTON DETECTOR PERFORMANCE TO ENABLE NONPROLIFERATION APPLICATION USE.

A fieldable microcalorimeter has the potential to provide energy resolution an order of magnitude better than the current high-purity germanium standard. This team sought to address current

bulk tin material. Using this finding, the team designed and fabricated a 60-pixel integrated detector structure with tin electroplated into silicon cavities on one side of a wafer and thermal isolation trenches etched around each

pixel. (The design calls for transition- edge sensors to be patterned on the opposite side.) The findings from this project, worked in collaboration with Sandia Alliance partner Texas A&M, the National

A 60-pixel integrated detector structure is shown with tin electroplated into silicon cavities on one side of a wafer and thermal isolation trenches etched around each pixel.

design limitations, such as detector deadtime and inconsistent performance between pixels caused by glue used to attach absorbers by hand. Ultimately, it was determined that electroplated gamma-ray absorbers could produce the same energy resolution as absorbers created from

Institute of Standards and Technology, and Los Alamos National Laboratory, forged a path toward the creation of an integrated microcalorimeter detector. The work resulted in one publication, three Technical Advances, and two patents that are currently in prosecution. (PI: Michael Hamel)

MOBILE JAM-PROOF WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS FOR MAINTENANCE OF LINE-OF-SIGHT NETWORK. Bridging the technology gap required to bring highly reliable communication systems to autonomous mobile agents was the focus of this LDRD project.

After early exploration of technologies, it was determined that research in line-of-sight (LOS) maintenance for mobile agents could have the broadest impact beyond the initial project scope. Simulations allowed the team to examine various control strategies for maintaining a LOS network between agents while also navigating to user- or autonomously generated points of interest. The team presented findings for how the controllers, control parameters, and numbers of agents in the network influence the ability to achieve mission goals. (PI: Steven Spencer)

Simulations using line-of-sight maintenance allowed agents to navigate to user- or autonomously generated points of interest.

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