The Instrument Electronics and Sensors Section (389) is responsible for the development and delivery of sensors, instruments and electronics technologies needed by JPL/NASA to enable new terrestrial, astrophysics, and planetary in situ and remote science experiments and observations. The Section provides research and technology for science instrument as well as flight instrument engineering. It uses the Microdevices Laboratory (MDL), which provides end-to-end capabilities and services for micro- and nano-devices fabrication and characterization.

Section Core Capabilities

• Development of technology and instruments concepts that advance the state-of-the-art as well as NASA/JPL scientific exploration goals and are responsive to sponsor needs and competitive calls for proposals
• Development of sub-milimeter wave remote sensors for low-background (astrophysics) and high-background (i.e., Earth and other planetary remote sensing) applications
• Development of large, un-cooled, infrared photonic focal plane instruments for planetary and Earth science applications
• Development of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), fluidic devices, and nanostructure-based devices for in situ and remote planetary instruments
• Development of optoelectronic components including solid state laser sources, optical gratings, optical detectors, etc., for the state-of-the-art observational systems
• Development of advanced detectors and integrated electronics for large UV/optical focal plane instruments as well as visible and IR imagers
• Development of superconducting technologies, large superconducting submilimeter wave imaging arrays and heterodyne receivers
• Electronics for sensors and instruments
• Responsible for technical direction of the work at Microdevices Laboratory