Domingo Alvarez Mendez Email & Phone Number

Garching Bei Muenchen

Once again I've got back to Detector System Group. I focused on the MOONS instrument Detector System to design, procure and characterise the H4RG-15 FRSBY devices that will go on the instrument. The MOONS Spectograph is particularly challenging due to its fast Schmid camera optics, 1/f=0.98. This forced the detector to be inside the beam area and to be strictly limited in space. The preamp is fully cryogenic with 64-channels and smaller in footprint as the H4RG-15 FRSBY Detector Unit… Show more Once again I've got back to Detector System Group. I focused on the MOONS instrument Detector System to design, procure and characterise the H4RG-15 FRSBY devices that will go on the instrument. The MOONS Spectograph is particularly challenging due to its fast Schmid camera optics, 1/f=0.98. This forced the detector to be inside the beam area and to be strictly limited in space. The preamp is fully cryogenic with 64-channels and smaller in footprint as the H4RG-15 FRSBY Detector Unit (DU).As part of the position, I had given support to ESPRESSO during the PAE and Paranal commissioning. I am still supporting the activities until PAC and finishing the documentation of the VCS. Also, I published an SPIE'18 for the ESPRESSO VCS in Austin, Texas, USA.Another project on the role is to develop an ASIC design to replace the discrete cryogenic preamp used for IR focal-planes detectors. This design has been a follow-up contract by IDE AS (Norway). The ASIC is currently finished and packaged, and it is in test phase to design a cryogenic test bed for characterisation purposes.The next project in the pipeline is HARMONI and the electronic design for the IR and VIS preamps. Show less

Garching Bei Muenchen

I moved to the Telescopes and Instrumentation Group and took responsibilities for the development, design, construction, validation and integration of the Vacuum and cryogenic Control System (VCS) of ESPRESSO. This was a take over position of the previous staff member due to retirement. Lots of documentation update and design schematics for the final version of the VCS were carried on. Later in 2017 the VCS was installed in Paranal together with the instrument, prior 9 month validation at the… Show more I moved to the Telescopes and Instrumentation Group and took responsibilities for the development, design, construction, validation and integration of the Vacuum and cryogenic Control System (VCS) of ESPRESSO. This was a take over position of the previous staff member due to retirement. Lots of documentation update and design schematics for the final version of the VCS were carried on. Later in 2017 the VCS was installed in Paranal together with the instrument, prior 9 month validation at the integration place in University of Geneva. Show less

This position is a follow-up of my previous traineeships at the DESY group in ESO. I was granted with a 1-year contract at the company and continuing my tasks at DESY.My main work has been focused with the H2RG HgCdTe (Teledyne) infrared detector to exploit the fast-mode features within. At the moment, it is been tested a prototyped pre-amplifier design in cryogenic environment and characterising the performance of it with the detector.

Munich Y Alrededores, Alemania

As a Detector Electronic Engineer Trainee, I have improved skills regarding detectors for astronomy by learning-by-doing. The position is at the DEtectors and SYstems (DESY) Department of European Southern Observatory (ESO), which provided me with an unique opportunity to learn from top researchers on the field of the detectors.Learning-by-doing in project for state-of-the-art instrumentation, where main areas of training are detectors characterisation (visible and infra-red), pre-amplifier… Show more As a Detector Electronic Engineer Trainee, I have improved skills regarding detectors for astronomy by learning-by-doing. The position is at the DEtectors and SYstems (DESY) Department of European Southern Observatory (ESO), which provided me with an unique opportunity to learn from top researchers on the field of the detectors.Learning-by-doing in project for state-of-the-art instrumentation, where main areas of training are detectors characterisation (visible and infra-red), pre-amplifier design, controller set-up and programming readout schemes. Projects involved:-Characterising experience of SAPHIRA (Selex Galileo) detectors, a NIR eAPD CMOS detector for adaptive optic and interferometry.-Designing of a pre-amplifier version for fast readout of the H2RG HgCdTe (Teledyne), a bandwidth limitation of 10MHz and cryogenic capability.-Designing of a pre-amplifier with 64 video channels to readout the H4RG-15 (Teledyne), a 4kx4k HgCdTe detector.-Testing of New Generation Controller (NGC) Acquisition Board for 32 channels, a design and testing procedure to fully characterise the NGC AQ32 board.-Promoting development for PyDESY (Python for DESY), which is a Python library for activities regarding detector testing (characterisation functions, instrument control, data mining, script programming). Show less

Breña Baja, La Palma, Santa Cruz De Tenerife

Under the International Organization Trainee program from MINECO, I work for GRANTECAN S.A. as Detector Engineer giving remote support from my trainee position at ESO. In March 2014, I will incorporate to the GRANTECAN team to carry on with detector operation and maintenance of GTC's payload instruments.

At Pyreos I joined to a small team to work on the development of new applications for the standard PIR sensor of the company. Also, I gave support to external customers as well as colleges in different departments.The projects I was involved at Pyreos were:- Migrating different MATLAB models of the PIR to an open source software and implement a link between models to obtain better information for the use of the rest of departments.- Characterising of the PIR angular response for a… Show more At Pyreos I joined to a small team to work on the development of new applications for the standard PIR sensor of the company. Also, I gave support to external customers as well as colleges in different departments.The projects I was involved at Pyreos were:- Migrating different MATLAB models of the PIR to an open source software and implement a link between models to obtain better information for the use of the rest of departments.- Characterising of the PIR angular response for a 2-channels commercial device. This was important to offer a reliable information to customer for fire detection applications.- Designing, testing and documenting an application to get a square response out of the PIR instead of the sine-like nominal response. For that it was used a second order Sallen-Key filter with different cut-off frequencies depending on applications.- Proposal of a testing facility for a line-array sensor, with the goal of characterising the data acquisition chain. The project was only on its initial phase of requirement and writing the proposal. Show less

As part of my Master Dissertation of the MSc Digital System of Edinburgh Napier University, I worked with the SIDECAR ASIC of Teledyne (US) to reprogram it to use a different brand detector such as Virgo2K from Raytheon (US).

Principally, the position was aimed for supporting the telescope staff with instrument's swap process, where I were in charge of setting up the camera detector system. This task involves previous steps which include cooling the detector's cryostat with liquid nitrogen, preparing all the wiring, maintenance of the camera controller, installing all the system in the instrument (detector, controller and power supply) and checking up the noise levels in the camera when installed in the… Show more Principally, the position was aimed for supporting the telescope staff with instrument's swap process, where I were in charge of setting up the camera detector system. This task involves previous steps which include cooling the detector's cryostat with liquid nitrogen, preparing all the wiring, maintenance of the camera controller, installing all the system in the instrument (detector, controller and power supply) and checking up the noise levels in the camera when installed in the instrument.An important scope assignment to the fellowship was to research in the origin of eventually noise patterns present in the detector. For this purpose it was developed a specific IDL application for the ING detectors. It was capable to process the bias images taken by the camera and to build a time frequency characterization, useful to find out the frequency value of the noise patterns.Others duties include in the fellowship were to design, develop, implement and fabricate a small and simple device to help out the telescope operators and observers (e.g. temperature alarm controlled by a PIC, linear power supply with low noise output). Also a task was to reply the fault related with the CCD afterwards observations, which includes sometimes working out a solution or an advice.ChallengesFor the company, I gave another pair of hands in the maintenance task of every day and the swapping labors, as well as the development of a new tool to work out the noise patterns to find out the origin of the pattern inside the installations. Show less

of the Master Thesis Project of the MSc RF Integrated System and Circuit (RISC)DutiesFor 5 month, I settled in the headquarter of this radio frequency (RF) integrated circuit (IC) company to finish my Master Thesis Project from the MSc RISC of Aalborg University (Denmark). The project was directly related with the RF field with the title: "A re-design of a switched capacitor loop filter for a DECT PLL".It consisted to make a new design of a loop filter within a PLL to reduce the IC… Show more of the Master Thesis Project of the MSc RF Integrated System and Circuit (RISC)DutiesFor 5 month, I settled in the headquarter of this radio frequency (RF) integrated circuit (IC) company to finish my Master Thesis Project from the MSc RISC of Aalborg University (Denmark). The project was directly related with the RF field with the title: "A re-design of a switched capacitor loop filter for a DECT PLL".It consisted to make a new design of a loop filter within a PLL to reduce the IC area of the whole PLL. The approach considered to deal with the problem was to use Switched Capacitor (SC) techniques, which use the advantage to join a capacitor and a pair of switches (the simplest case) to build up a block that behaves like a resistor. All this was controlled by a frequency clock which could dictate the resistant value within a margin.All the project was developed at design level, no IC implementation were done as this was an initial research for future improvements. The software used for the design was CADENCE, which had to be learnt before, both during the first semester of the MSc and the project time.ChallengesThe project was a success as the amount of area was reduced without any other change in the working behavior of the whole PLL. Also, it was possible to reduce more area and simplify the design of the loop filter input with the Switched Capacitor implementation. Show less

Msc, Digital Systems, Distintion

Activities and Societies: Digital Signal Processing, Digital Communication, VHDL & FPGA design, Embedded System Applications, Research.

Master, Rf Integrated System And Circuit

Last year of the MSc RISC, where the first semester was dedicated in part time to courses like Spread Spectrum, Integrated Circuit Design.

Master, Electronic Engineering

I have completed the 3 years of the degree, which is divided in 1 year of complementary courses to compensate some lack of topic.

Bachelor, Physics Science

I have studied the first 2 years of the Physics Science degree as a mandatory requirement to access to the Electronic Engineer degree..