Speaker
Description
The astrophysics division of CEA is developing high reliability CdTe based pixelated imaging spectrometers with high energy resolution and high dynamic range for astronomy and solar physics in space. The detector technology, known as Caliste, was developed as part of a long-standing research and development program involving detector simulations and performance assessments, the development of custom ASICs and 3D packaging technologies.
This presentation will cover the fundamentals of the Caliste technology and showcase its successful application in space, as demonstrated by STIX (Spectrometric Telescope for X-ray Imaging) aboard the Solar Orbiter ESA mission and MeDDEA (Measuring Directivity to Determine Electron Anisotropy) aboard the PADRE NASA CubeSat, which were launched in 2020 and 2025, respectively. Both instruments use Caliste-SO CdTe-based hard X-ray spectrometers, combining their data to co-observe intense solar flares from different perspectives and two different orbits. This provides unique insights into detector performance in flight.
I will also describe more recent developments towards an ultra-fine pitch CdTe based photon counting imaging spectrometer. This development involves new full-custom front-end ASIC readout and a 3D hybridization concept. The prototype detector assembly on top of our ASICs has been successfully operated and early results will be illustrated. These new developments are paving the way for future scientific space missions.
Some direct societal applications of Caliste technology in the field of nuclear monitoring will be presented as an example of the translation of fundamental research instrumentation to the market.