Microdevices Laboratory
MICRODEVICES LABORATORY
A Story of Continuous Achievement
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MICRODEVICES LABORATORY
Euclid Mission Scheduled for Launch in 2020
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MICRODEVICES LABORATORY
Is mineral dust heating or cooling the planet?
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MICRODEVICES LABORATORY
Superconducting Nanowire Single Photon Detectors for DSOC
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MICRODEVICES LABORATORY
Looking Back to the First Stars' Formation
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Welcome to the Microdevices Laboratory
Big things come from small technologies. As one of the institutional facilities of Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the Microdevices Laboratory (MDL) is dedicated to the study of micro and nano-fabrication techniques. Our technology enables JPL and NASA to carry out new missions and perform new measurements in space. As the frontiers of science grow ever broader, we are proud of the not-so-small, but vital part we play in better understanding the world we know and those we have yet to discover.
For us, every project is a journey, every idea (and even every temporary setback) an opportunity. These journeys take us through new dimensions of space and time, they help us understand our planet and take us to lands unknown. Whether we are studying the physics of the universe when it was less than a second old, examining molecular species in Earth’s atmosphere or searching for signs of past or present life on Mars, ours is a quest that is filled with both great mysteries and fascinating discoveries.
MDL Core Competencies
List
Grid
Mid-Infrared Detectors
Innovations at MDL by the Infrared Photonics Technology Group enable observations of our planet in specific infrared regions, as well as mapping of the world's ecosystems, defense, cloud structures, and natural disasters.
UV-Visible Detectors & Systems
Advances generated at MDL will extend our vision to unprecedented sensitivities, enabling future discoveries and capabilities.
Submillimeter Devices
Researchers in submillimeter-wave advanced technology at JPL specialize in developing and implementing submillimeter-wave and terahertz remotesensing technologies for a variety of applications.
Superconducting Devices
The possible detection of an imprint by inflation on the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) excited both astrophysicists and the general public around the world in March 2014 when BICEP2 published its results.
Semiconductor Lasers
Over the last two decades, semiconductor lasers have improved in performance to above-room-temperature operation with high output power (tens of milliwatts), low power consumption (less than a watt), and cover a wide range of wavelengths. Due to these advancements, tunable laser spectrometers have become the instrument of choice for precise measurements of gas abundances and their isotope ratios in Earth and planetary gases, arising from either the atmosphere or evolving from rock pyrolysis.
Diffractive Optics
The Microdevices Laboratory develops electron-beam lithography techniques to fabricate unique nanostructures and optics that enable JPL instruments to perform novel measurements and achieve unmatched performance.
Imaging Spectroscopy
At the most basic molecular level, all life on Earth is fundamentally the same, constructed from a relatively small set of chemical building blocks. By analyzing the distributions of organic molecules on other worlds, we can search for patterns of these building blocks that can provide clues about the presence of extinct or extant life.
Broadband Thermal Detectors
At the most basic molecular level, all life on Earth is fundamentally the same, constructed from a relatively small set of chemical building blocks. By analyzing the distributions of organic molecules on other worlds, we can search for patterns of these building blocks that can provide clues about the presence of extinct or extant life.
MEMS
The past year has been the "delivery" year for nano and micro systems. This is the most satisfying aspect of applied research, where a new technology is nurtured from its conception to a field-test-ready product, or in some cases, a laboratory-proven product ready for the next bigger stage.
In Situ Instruments
At the most basic molecular level, all life on Earth is fundamentally the same, constructed from a relatively small set of chemical building blocks. By analyzing the distributions of organic molecules on other worlds, we can search for patterns of these building blocks that can provide clues about the presence of extinct or extant life.
Microfabrication Technologies
Microfabrication technologies under development at MDL continue to support NASA's mission to drive advances in science, technology, and exploration.
Infrastructure & Equipment
The sophisticated semiconductor processing that takes place in the MDL requires complex integrated building systems and equipment. These closely monitored state-of-the-art capabilities installed in ultraclean environments form the foundation of MDL's technical implementation and innovation.
MDL HIGHLIGHTS
HOT BIRDs
The HOT BIRD focal plane array is at the heart of the Hyperspectral Thermal Imager (HyTI) 6U CubeSat
(which needs
a cooler, also developed in MDL
) that was recently selected
by NASA’s In-Space Validation of Earth Science Technologies (InVEST) program.
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MDL HIGHLIGHTS
Silicon Sculpturing
Over the last few years, NASA has funded development of super-compact submillimeter-wave instruments for
planetary exploration. Submillimeter heterodyne instruments play a critical
role in addressing fundamental questions regarding the evolution of galaxies and interstellar clouds, while enhancing our understanding of planet Earth by providing remote sensing data on the higher troposphere and lower stratosphere.
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MDL HIGHLIGHTS
EMIT
Does mineral dust blown into the atmosphere cause it to warm or cool? This is the fundamental question that
researchers hope a new space-based instrument will help them answer
. Since much of the Earth's desert regions are remote and inhospitable, the best way to study them may be from space.
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MDL HIGHLIGHTS
HyTES
HyTES was developed originally to support the Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI) mission and is currently
supporting science data products for future ESA missions as well as
NRC 2017 decadal survey missions and SBG. SBG is the Surface Biology and Geology designated observable identified in the
NRC 2017 Decadal Survey (PDF):
"Thriving on Our Changing Planet: A Decadal Strategy for Earth Observation from Space."
(For PDF documents
download Adobe Reader
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CORE COMPETENCIES
Mid-Infrared Detectors
UV-Visible Detectors & Systems
Submillimeter Devices
Superconducting Devices
Semiconductor Lasers
Diffractive Optics
Imaging Spectroscopy
Broadband Thermal Detectors
MEMS
In Situ Instruments
Tunable Laser Spectrometers
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Mass Spectrometry
Microfabrication Technologies
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