| Citation | Distinguished for his studies on the science of infra-red detectors, Dr. Elliot has applied this research to produce novel detectors giving civil and military thermal imager systems of world-beating performance. He has also procured and enabled their manufacture, commercial exploitation and profitable export. His invention of the SPRITE/TED (Tom Elliot Detector) device in 1974 has greatly simplified both detector fabrication and system electronics as well as enhancing imager performance. SPRITE based systems have proved outstandingly successful and are fitted to Tornado and Harrier aircraft in both the UK and the USA. Following from this he has made a number of further seminal advances which, by obviating the need for cooling and mechanical scanning, should reduce system costs so that, as they become declassified, they can used in cheap imagers for civil applications eg. the study of novel civil engineering structures. Two such examples are now given: Electronically-scanned CdHgTe solid-state detector arrays, resolving millidegrees and comprising 128 x 128 elements, have been made by Mullard based on his contributed knowhow. He has also demonstrated that his invention of novel-device structures, exploiting his recent discovery of steady-state, non-equilibrium modes of operation in detectors, can remove the cooling requirement for imagers. This also promises new high speed circuits and opto-electronic devices. Dr. Elliot's 84 publications and 20 patents attest to his productivity and his achievements have been recognised by the Rank Prize for Opto-electronics, the Churchill Medal of the Society of Engineers and several other major awards including The Queens' Award for Technological Achievement. |